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“He spake to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him." 


Boston: 

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‘UBUSHED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR 
FOREIGN MISSIONS. 

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RY OF THE MORNING STAR, 

K \)c ffifytltfrcn’s ffttsstonarg-ITesseL 


BY 

Rev. HIRAM BINGHAM, Jr. 

MISSIONARY TO MICRONESIA. 


WITH A SEQUEL. 



BOS TON: 

PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD. 
Mission Rooms, l Somerset St. 

1883. 





PREFACE 


Moke than fifty thousand copies of this “ Story of the Morning 
Star ” were scattered in 1866, the year in which the children made 
their great offering for building the vessel. The pamphlet has long 
been out of print, yet it is still called for. It is now reissued, with¬ 
out change in the stereotype plates, but with a sequel bringing the 
record down to the present time. May the children, and the men 
and women who, when they were children, became stockholders in 
the Morning Star, still follow with their sympathies, prayers, and 
gifts, their missionary ship ! 

A. B. C. F. M., Boston, June, 1883. 



of 





TO THOSE WHO BUILT THE FIRST MORNING STAR, 

AND 

TO THOSE WHO WISH TO BUILD ANOTHER. 


My dear young Friends, — You have all heard of the mis¬ 
sionary vessel that was sent to the Pacific Ocean in 1856; not a few 
of you took stock in her. Perhaps you have read about her in the 
“Missionary Herald,” the “Journal of Missions,” the “Youth’s Day¬ 
spring,” the “ Friend,” or in a book written by Mrs. Warren. Well, 
the little craft has been sold. She was almost worn out; and it was 
thought better to build a new vessel than to repair the old one. 

As I was the first missionary that went to sea in her, and have 
known her ever since, the Secretaries of the American Board a few 
weeks ago requested me to write a short story about her, in order that 
you may see how much good she has done, and so be all the more glad 
to aid in building another Morning Star to take her place. 

From the shortness of the time allowed me, to say nothing of my 
imperfect health, I should have been unequal to the task, had I not 
received much assistance from others. A great deal of this I have 
had from one who has known the Morning Star as long as 1 have, 
and has been my companion in nearly all my voyagings in her; and I 
take pleasure also in saying that kind friends at the Missionary House 
have, by their valued suggestions and criticisms, and in other ways, 
added not a little to the interest which this “ Story of the Morning 
Star ” may be thought to possess. Such as it is I offer it to you. 
And my prayer is that it may lead you to pity the heathen more 
deeply than ever. May I not hope that you will think more of that 
love, so great, so free, which has made it possible for them, as well as 
for you and me, to see the Lord Jesus in his Heavenly kingdom! 

H. B., Jr 


Missionary House , May 19 th, 1866. 



EXPLANATORY NOTE. 


# 

Those who desire to pronounce the native words found in the fol¬ 
lowing pages as they are pronounced in the Pacific, will please to 
remember that 


a is generally like a in father, 
e is “ “ a in late, 

i is “ “ i in ravine, 

o is “ “ o in note. 

,u is “ “ oo in pool, 

ai is “ “ i in fine, 

au is “ “ ow in now. 

n is “ “ ng in sing. 


As the names of certain islands will occur very frequently, I will 
add that, 


Ponape is to 
Kusaie 
Ebon 
Apaiang 
Tarawa 


be pronounced nearly as i 

ll 

U 

u 

u 


written lV-nah-pa.* 
“ Koo-sy'-a.* 

“ A-bone. 

“ Ap-py-ahng. 
“ Tar'-rah-wah 


Please to notice the marks which show where the accent is to be 
placed. 

* The final a in these two words, as also A in A-bone, has the sound of a 
in late. 



CONTENTS 


% 


CHAPTER I. 


THE LANDS THE MORNING STAR WAS TO VISIT 

CHAPTER II. 

•the people she was to visit 

« 

CHAPTER III. 

VVHAT HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE HER VISIT . 

CHAPTER IV. 

WHY SHE WAS NEEDED. 

CHAPTER V. 

HER VOYAGE AROUND CAPE HORN 

CHAPTER VI. 

SHE VISITS THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS . 

CHAPTER VII. 

SHE SETS OUT FOR MICRONESIA 

CHAPTER VIII. 

HER VISIT TO KUSATE. 

CHAPTER IX. 

HER VISIT TO PONAPE. 

CHAPTER X. 

HER VISIT TO APAIANG. 

CHAPTER XI. 


PAGH 

. 7 

. 11 

. 14 

. 20 

. 22 

. 25 

. 28 

. 33 

. 35 

. 39 


HER VISIT TO EBON 


42 



VI 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER XII. 

WAITING FOR THE MORNING STAR. • • • • 

CHAPTER XIII. 

H-ER YEARLY VISITS. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

SOME THINGS SHE BROUGHT, AND HOW WE USED THEM 


PAQB 

. 45 

. 52 

. 55 


CHAPTER XV. 

MICRONESIANS WHO SAILED IN HER 


CHAPTER XVI. 

HER LAST VISIT TO THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS . . .64 

CHAPTER XVII. 

HER LAST VISIT TO MICRONESIA.67 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

CONCLUSION. • 69 

SEQUEL TO THE STORY.75 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


THE MORNING STAR 
THE EVENING STAR 
THE MORNING STAR OFF EBON 
MAP OF EASTERN MICRONESIA 
GILBERT ISLAND MANEABA . 

WELCOME OF THE MORNING STAR 
A MARSHALL ISLANDER . 

MISSION STATION AT APAIANG 
GILBERT ISLAND WARRIORS . 

SUNDAY MORNING ON APAIANG 
MR. SNOW’S DEPARTURE FROM KUSAIE 
PRINCESS OPATIN1A 
NATIVE PONAPE MISSIONARIES AT THE MORTLOCK 


Front Cover 
Back Cover 
Title-page 
. 9 

. 17 
. 29 
. 31 
. 41 
. 47 
. 51 
. 63 
. 82 
ISLANDS 85 








STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE LANDS SHE WAS TO VISIT. 

When Balboa, in 1513, first looked upon the mighty 
Pacific from a mountain-top on the Isthmus of Panama, 
and called it the South Sea, how little did he know 
of the thousands of islands which studded its placid 
bosom, stretching ten thousand miles towards the setting 
sun ! No Captain Cook, or Marshall, or Gilbert, or* any 
one else, had described them, or even seen them. Now, 
however, enough could be told about them to fill many 
large books. 

On one of them I was born; and as you speak of 
America as your native land, so I sometimes speak of 
the Pacific as my birthplace and childhood - home. 
There too was the field of my labors as a missionary, 
and there the Morning Star has been going about on 
her errands of love. 

The Pacific is so large that people who make geog¬ 
raphies have divided it into several portions. One 
they call Polynesia, which means “ many islands ; ” 
and another they call Micronesia, which means “ little 
islands.” In both divisions we find some high islands; 
but many are mere coral reefs. The Ladrone and some 
of the Caroline Islands are high ; but the Gilbert and 
Marshall Islands are all low. One of the missionaries 
has beautifully described this island world, by saying. 


8 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


“ The whole is studded with ocean gems, as if the 
mirror of the starry sky above it.” 

Come with me, while I take you to. those parts of 
the Pacific which your little vessel has visited. We 
will start from New York, in a steamer, for Aspinwall 
on the Isthmus of Panama. This we can reach in 
eight days; and there we will take the cars across the 
Isthmus, passing not far from the mountain where Bal¬ 
boa first saw the Pacific. By steamer we shall reach 
San Francisco in thirteen days. Thence we will go 
in a sailing vessel toward the southwest. With a 
good wind, we shall have sailed more than twenty-five 
hundred miles in ten or twelve days, and shall have 
reached the high, volcanic island of Hawaii. 

Now let us imagine that from the top of Mauna 
Kea, (nearly three miles high,) which I once tried to 
reach, but did not, we are looking off far toward the 
south. If the world was flat, and we had eyes sharp 
enough, we should see the Marquesas Islands, about two 
thousand miles distant, — high, rugged, volcanic. Look¬ 
ing off toward the southwest, we should see the Mi- 
cronesian Islands, the nearest of which are more than 
two thousand miles away, and the farthest more than 
four thousand. 

Let us dwell upon this beautiful sight. Some of 
these islands, you see, are clustered together in groups; 
while some may be called “ lone isles of the sea.” 
Some of them are volcanic; and by this we mean that, 
they have been made by the lava which is thrown up 
by volcanoes in the sen. These are generally covered 
with forests ; and on them you would find, if you could 
go there, lovely valleys, babbling brooks, birds of bright 
plumage and sweet song. You would also find trees 
that yield figs, limes, oranges, bread-fruit, bananas, and 
guavas. Pine-apples, melons, yams, and sweet pota¬ 
toes, you would expect to see, of course, in great abun¬ 
dance. 



MAP OF EASTERN MTCRONESIA 


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%►* 


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10 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


The larger part of the islands of Micronesia are low 
coral islands; and they have all been built up by animals. 
These little creatures began their work, if such it may 
be called, on the side of some island, high, low, or sub¬ 
merged, not more than one hundred and twenty feet 
below the surface of the sea. And when the founda¬ 
tion upon which they were building, sunk slowly down 
into the deep water, (for all these islands are believed 
to have sunk,) the patient workers kept right on, striv¬ 
ing to reach the surface, till at last they gained the 
victory. The dry land, if any, had disappeared ; the 
fruit of their labor alone remained ! What a monument 
to the industry and skill of these wonderful architects! 
Everywhere in Micronesia, therefore, you will find coral 
islands, most of them with a great lake or lagoon in the 
centre, so that you might call them “ hollow islands.” 

These central lakes are generally connected with the 
ocean by one or more ship-channels. In the largest of 
these all the navies of the world might anchor with 
perfect safety. The rims of land which surround the 
lagoons are very narrow ; so that you might run across 
them in three or four minutes. The soil is poor, and 
often very barren. There are no springs, no running 
streams, no hills; and there are but few land-birds and 
few flowers. Cattle, sheep, and goats can live there 
but a short time; but, strange to say, multitudes of 
human beings have their homes there. Alas, in what 
darkness ! 


“ The immense Pacific smiles, 
Round ten thousand little isles, 
Haunts of violence and wiles.” 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


11 


CHAPTER II. 

THE PEOPLE SHE WAS TO VISIT. 

I have told you of the regions to which the Morning 
btar was bound. It is time to speak of the people to 
whom she was going ; for men are worth a great deal 
more than the lands in which they live. 

You have all heard about the Sandwicli Islanders, or 
Hawaiians, — how they cast away their idols, and how 
they became a Christian nation in less than thirty years 
after the first missionaries (of whom my father was one) 
went among them. 

The Marquesas Islanders are much like the Hawaiians 
in looks and language ; and before the latter received the 
Gospel their religion was much the same. In one respect, 
however, they were very different. Few of the latter 
were ever cannibals, while the former were universally so. 
Dr. Gulick places the Marquesans among the “ more 
sprightly and intelligent of the Polynesian tribes.” “ Their 
free democracy from earliest days, fostered by their se¬ 
questered valleys,” he says, “ has been the great outer 
obstacle to the Gospel; but it has given them an inde¬ 
pendence, and a certain firmness of character, which 
renders them less impressible to foreign motives and in¬ 
fluences, and has given a subsoil to cultivate, from which 
we may hope for growths of some permanence. We see 
this in those who have been converted. The mien and 
conversation of several of them is that of men convinced, 
and ready to stand by their convictions, even in the face 
of the scoffer from foreign lands.” 

. The people of the different groups of Micronesia have 


12 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


some things in common ; but in other things they differ 
greatly. They are much alike in color; they are some¬ 
what alike in looks, in religion, in manners, and customs. 
The Gilbert and Marshall Islanders are of the usual size; 
the Strong’s Islanders (Ivusaieans) are rather smaller. Mr. 
Damon says that the Marshall Islanders are “ unmistak¬ 
ably of Japanese extraction,” and the Gilbert Islanders 
“ most strikingly like the Hawaiians.” 

If you would paint one of the Micronesians, you must 
give him a dark skin, — here copper, there olive ; you must 
make his hair straight and black ; you must make his eyes 
black also ; and you must be sure not to forget the “ tattoo ” 
marks on his body, of which he is so very proud. 

The people of one group cannot understand the language 
of another; but the missionaries find that many words are 
common to all the groups. It sometimes happens that the 
men living on these islands are drifted away in their canoes 
to a great distance ; but they soon learn to converse in 
any new tongue which they have occasion to use. You 
know, of course, that before the missionaries visited them 
they had no books ; neither could they read or write, so 
dark were their minds; but, alas, their hearts were darker 
still ! 

The unconverted Micronesians are all liars. The fathers 
lie, the mothers lb, and the children lie. Indeed, they 
seem just as ready to deceive as to speak the truth. They 
are much disposed to steal, moreover. They steal from 
one another, from the ships which visit them, and fre¬ 
quently from missionaries who live among them. In their 
way they are very covetous. They know very little about 
nice houses, railroads, bank-stocks, fine horses, and fine 
clothes ; but they are greedy of fishhooks, tobacco, plane- 
irons, large knives, scented oils, and beads. They often 
treat their women with great cruelty, beating them, stab¬ 
bing them, making slaves of them. The little children, 
for the most part, have much kindness shown to them; 
but I am sorry to say that they do not honor their fathers. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


13 


and their mothers. And I will add that very little respect 
is paid to old people. They generally treat strangers 
kindly, offering food and drink to those who call on them. 

None of the Micronesians are cannibals; but they are 
very passionate and revengeful. Hence they are much 
given to fighting and killing one another. A great many 
murders are committed every year. 

The Micronesians can hardly be called idolaters; that 
is, they do not bow “ down to wood and stone; ” but they 
are heathen nevertheless, and they worship false gods. I 
think we might call them “ spiritualists.” They believe 
there are a great many spirits which have to do with them. 
They set up stones in honor of them, (see one of these 
stones in the extreme left of the picture opposite page 16,) 
and often make offerings of food to them; for they are 
much afraid of them. Some persons profess to hold in¬ 
tercourse with these spirits. In the Gilbert Islands the 
priests decide that a spirit is present, not by his knocking , 
as some people in America do, but by his whistling. 

They have many superstitions which it would take a 
whole book to describe ; but I have said enough to give 
you some idea of the tribes which the Morning Star 
was to visit. I have said enough to show you that the 
Micronesians were poor heathen, needing the Bible to tell 
them that Jesus had died to save them as well as us. You 
see that such people could not be happy in heaven. The 
blood that cleanseth from all sin, must be sprinkled upon 
them before they can be admitted to that holy place. 


14 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


CHAPTER III. 

WHAT HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE HER VISIT. 

I have told you what kind of people the Micronesiana 
were; and I have shown you how much they needed the 
Bible. Now let us see what Christians had done to give 
them the Gospel before the children sent the Morning 
Star to them. Of what had been done for the Marque¬ 
sas I will speak in another place. 

When the Hawaiians became a Christian people, not a 
few of them were willing to carry the Gospel to others 
who were ignorant of it, as they themselves had been ; 
and the missionaries were glad to have them do this, in 
order that the churches to which they belonged might 
take a more active part in the salvation of the world, and 
receive a better training for all good works at home. 
They could not well go to China, or India, or Japan ; 
for those countries were far off, and their languages were 
hard to learn. The islands of which we have been speak¬ 
ing were very small, it is .true; but they were much 
nearer, and the people were more like themselves, in 
manners, and habits, and ways of living. To these, there¬ 
fore, it was decided that some of them should be sent, and 
with them a few Americans, to cheer and counsel them, 
to translate the Scriptures, and to prepare books. 

For this purpose three men, Mr. Snow, Dr. Gulick, 
Mr. Sturges, and their wives, sailed from the United 
States for Micronesia, the two former in 1851, and the 
latter early in 1852. They went first to the Sandwich 
Islands. While they were there, two Hawaiians, Kaai- 
kaula and Opunui, with their wives, Debora and Doreka, 
were selected to accompany them to Micronesia. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


15 


But how should they get to their field of labor ? There 
were no ships going back and forth between the Sand¬ 
wich Islands and any of the groups of Micronesia. It 
seemed best, therefore, to buy a small schooner, which 
might take them there, and carry supplies to them after¬ 
wards. Her name was the Caroline; and in July, 1852, 
these five men and their wives set sail for their future 
home. Mr. Clark, one of the older missionaries at the 
Sandwich Islands, and Kekela, pastor of a church on 
Oahu, went to help them in getting a foothold, after 
which they were to return again. 

That you may know more about this Kekela, I will say 
that he was educated (as I was in part) by the kindness 
of a Boston merchant, once an officer of the brig Thad- 
deus , which took the first missionaries to the Sandwich 
Islands. He has been for many years, and is now, a 
missionary to the Marquesas Islands. Just before he 
sailed in the Caroline , he made a public address, which 
will give you some idea of the man. “ I am a native 
of these islands,” he said. “ My parents were idolaters, 
and I was born in times of darkness. A short time ago 
all our people were heathen ; they worshipped a great 
variety of gods; they were engaged in war; they 
were addicted to stealing and robbery. Man and wife 
did not live together and eat together, as now; they 
took no care of their children. . . . But a great light 
has arisen over us. . . . The Bible has driven away our 
darkness, overturned our heathenish customs, and caused 
a great improvement in our condition. Because the Word 
of God has been given us in our own language, we have 
learned to read ; and all the people have learned to read 
it, old and young. It has been scattered all over the land, 
and taught all the people to do right. Therefore the 
people live peaceably; parents take some care of their 
children; the Sabbath is observed; the laws are regarded, 
and all dwell securely. . . . What, then, is more rea¬ 
sonable than that we Hawaiians should extend to other 


16 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


nations in this ocean the blessings of the Gospel ? Those 
tribes are now what we were a short time ago,— degraded, 
wretched idolaters. Shall we not have pity on them, as 
the people of God in the United States have had pity on 
us ? ” 

The Caroline touched first at Butaritari, or Pitt’s Island, 
in the Gilbert group. On going ashore, the missionaries 
visited the maneaba , (large council-house.) Learning that 
there were just such buildings on other islands, they could 
not help remarking to each other, — “ Here are houses for 
public Christian worship already erected, waiting for those, 
who shall proclaim the word of life.” Not that the peo¬ 
ple had any such thought; but God’s ways are not as our 
ways. How well they were adapted to such a use, you 
will learn from the picture on the opposite page. You 
have before you an immense roof, resting upon large 
coral stones, some three feet from the ground, neatly 
thatched with the pandanus leaf. 

But though there were a great many people on this 
island, as also on other islands of this group, the mis¬ 
sionaries were not ready to leave any of their number 
there. And so they passed on, some six hundred miles, 
to Strong’s Island, or, as the natives call it, Kusaie, a per¬ 
fect “ gem of the sea,” of which I shall say more hereafter. 
Here they decided to leave Mr. Snow and Opunui. 

These brethren were very kindly received by the high¬ 
est chief of the island, who was called King George. He 
could speak a little English, and so could some of his 
people. The missionaries were surprised at this, when 
they remembered how seldom the Kusaieans had seen 
either Americans or Englishmen. 

Let me give you a specimen of King George’s English. 
He was telling the missionaries how he had forbidden the 
making of intoxicating drinks ; and this is what he said : 
“ Plenty white men speak me, ‘ Very good, tap cocoa-nut- 
tree ; get toddy.’ Me say, 4 No ; no good.' Plenty men 
get drunk on shore ; too much row; me like all quiet. 


nnT/RPVRT TQT A \rn tvt a \tt? a t> a 






























































































































































































































































































































18 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


No tap cocoa-nut-tree on Strong’s Island.’ ” I am sure 
you will say that King George was a wise ruler, even 
though you may think his English somewhat rough and 
jagged. And he deserves this testimony also, that he 
was always kind to Mr. and Mrs. Snow and their com¬ 
panions. He had promised to be “ all same father ” to 
them, and he kept his word. They were very sorry 
when lie died ; but they hoped that he was prepared for 
the “ better home.” His dying charge to his son and the 
other chiefs was, “ Take good care of the missionaries.” 

After the visit of the Caroline to Strong’s Island, she 
went some three hundred miles farther west to Ascen¬ 
sion Island, or, as the natives call it, Ponape. This is 
one of the largest islands in Micronesia. It is high 
and very fertile; and the inhabitants at that time were 
supposed to be about ten thousand. The missionaries 
had been afraid that they might not be able to land; 
but the way was open, and Mr. St urges, Dr. Gulick, 
Kaaikaula, and their wives, commenced their work im¬ 
mediately on that dark shore. 

In 1855 Mr. Doane and Kamakahiki, with their 
wives, sailed from Honolulu in a whale-ship, to join 
the mission on Ponape. The same year Dr. and Mrs. 
Pierson, from the United States, reached Honolulu on 
their way to Kusaie. They did not know when or 
how they could get there from the Sandwich Islands; 
but God had provided a way. The barque Belle was 
soon to cruise near that island, and the captain kindly 
consented to take them on board. Kanoa and his wife 
Kaholo, both of them Hawaiians, went with them. 

But I must tell you more of this barque Belle ; for 
it was she that prepared the way for sending the Gos¬ 
pel to the low islands of Micronesia. She touched at 
several of the Gilbert Islands; and in this way Dr. Pier¬ 
son and Kanoa were able to learn much about them. 
They found that a great many people lived there, 
although the soil would not produce garden vegetables ; 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


19 


and Dr. Pierson thought that missionaries might live 
there too. “ They are the last persons,” he said, “ to 
choose a field because it is easy.” Both he and Mrs. 
Pierson were willing, therefore, to return, and occupy 
one of them in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

The Belle next proceeded to the Marshall Islands; 
and there Dr. Pierson became acquainted with a lead¬ 
ing chief, called Kaibuke, and with his sister, Nemair. 
No white men were then living in that group ; and as 
this chief had promised to take care of him, if he would 
live there, he felt that it might be his duty to do so. 
“ To us,” he said, “ the field seems exceedingly inviting; 
and we doubt not it will prove so to any one who may 
be allowed the privilege of teaching this people the 
way of life.” 

The Belle arrived at Kusaie on the 6th of October, 
1855 ; and Dr. Pierson began to labor there, hoping, 
nevertheless, to return to the Marshall Islanders at an 
early day. Next April a fleet of canoes which had gone 
adrift, with many of these very people on board, reached 
Kusaie, and with them he became well acquainted. 
After a few months, they set out for their homes, dis¬ 
tant some three hundred miles; but Dr. Pierson did 
not think it safe to go with them in their frail barks, 
fastened together, not with iron, but with cocoa-nut 
cord, and using mats for sails. He chose, rather, to 
wait for a safer conveyance. Thus were the isles wait¬ 
ing for the law of the Lord, — 

-“ the powers of darkness yield, 

For the Cross is in the field, 

And the light of life revealed.” 


20 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


CHAPTER IV. 

WHY SHE WAS NEEDED. 

Tiie Caroline , which took out the first missionaries 
to Micronesia, was soon sold for lack of money to sail 
her. This was a sad blow to them; for they all felt 
that they needed a vessel of their own. Whale-ships, 
it is true, touched at their islands now and then ; not 
so, however, as to be depended on. If you had been 
with them, you would have felt just as they did. Let 
me tell you why. 

A missionary packet would bring them tidings from 
their native land. Mr. Snow’s mother died, and it 
was two years before he heard of it! How, think you, 
could the missionaries have lived through our terrible 
war, if they had been obliged to wait two years for 
“ the news ” ? 

Such a vessel would supply them with proper food. 
They needed salt meat, flour, rice, sugar, and other 
articles which you have in your pleasant homes. Be¬ 
fore the Morning Star was built, they suffered very 
much for the want of these things. 

Such a vessel would give the sick the benefit of a 
sea-voyage. Before the children had built the Morn¬ 
ing Star , Dr. Gulick wrote home from Ponape, concern¬ 
ing his wife, — “ Her health is gradually failing. She 
much needs more exercise and relaxation than I can 
give her here. Were it possible, I should wish her to 
go to the Sandwich Islands for a time.” 

Such a vessel would be a protection to the missionaries. 
There are a great many bad men in the Pacific; and 
if they should get the idea that nobody cared for one 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


21 


of these servants of Christ, they might rob him or kill 
him. But the Morning Star has told them that thou¬ 
sands of good people, far away, are looking after his 
welfare. 

With such a vessel they could preach Christ more 
freely to the Micronesians. They could go from island 
to island, where no white man had ever been ; so that 
the first words from strange lips should be of “ the great 
salvation.” Mr. Doane said, before the Morning Star 
was sent to Micronesia, that he felt very much as if 
he were in sight of a wrecked sailor on a huge rock, 
around which the angry sea was dashing furiously, 
utterly unable to reach him ! He seemed to see the peo¬ 
ple beckoning to him to give them the Bible, and yet 
he could not do it. 

Let me show you just how the case stood in 1855. 
The Caroline, in taking missionaries to Kusaie and 
Ponape, had passed the Gilbert Islands on the left, 
where there were some 30,000 or 40,000 heathen, and 
the Marshall Islands on the right, where there were 
at least 10,000. She touched, as we have seen, for a 
few days at Butaritari, one of the most northerly of 
the Gilbert Islands. The missionaries pitied these poor 
heathen very much ; and they hoped that the Gos¬ 
pel would some day be preached to them. Hawaiian 
missionaries might easily be found who could live on 
these coral rims; and we have seen that there were 
American missionaries who would be glad to labor there. 
What should be done ? Should these Marshall and 
Gilbert Islanders be left, as they had been for so many 
ages, to live and die without hearing about their Sav¬ 
iour ? If not, somebody must go and live among them. 

It was decided to state the case to the children in 
America, and to ask them to build a missionary vessel. 
The “ little folks ” were all ready; and in three months 
from the laying of the keel, the Morning Star was in 
tnm for her long voyage round Cape Horn! 


22 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


CHAPTER V. 

HER VOYAGE AROUND CAPE HORN. 

On the evening of November 30th, 1856, a farewell 
meeting was held in Park Street Church, Boston, at which 
Captain Moore and his crew were present. Both he and 
myself were to receive our “ instructions,” as to where 
we were to go, and what we were to do. The house was 
crowded with the friends of the little vessel, who wished 
to hear what would be said to us. 

The first day of winter was cold ; but many Christian 
friends met on board our missionary packet, to bid her and 
her company “ God speed! ” It was not, however, till the 
next day that she spread her white sails for the long voy¬ 
age. (See the cover.) With deep interest we watched 
the forms of loved ones, as they stood on the wharves, 
sending after us their best wishes. When should we see 
their faces again ? Though it was a tender hour, it was 
a happy one. We thought it a great privilege to be per¬ 
mitted to go to the heathen in such a vessel. Oh, how 
many prayers were offered by Jesus’ little lambs for her 
preservation! 

We sailed beautifully out of Boston harbor ; but, not 
long after, a dreadful storm came upon us. The Morn¬ 
ing Star was forced to anchor under the lee of Cape 
Cod, off Provincetown; and so were two other vessels, 
one on each side of her. The wind shifted during the 
night; and the next morning we saw our two neighbors 
high up on the shore, amid the breakers. But God had 
taken care of us, and the Morning Star held fast, and was 
all safe ! There we lay for three days, till a steamer from 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


28 


Boston came to our assistance; and, having towed us 
around the Cape, she left us to go on our way over the 
stormy Atlantic. 

When we reached the South Atlantic, we found that 
our fore-yard was sprung; and so we put into Rio Janeiro 
for repairs. The harbor was very beautiful, and we en¬ 
joyed the visit, to which the nice oranges and bananas 
added not a little. On the 24th of February, we passed 
Cape Horn, where we encountered another severe gale. 
But God helped us, and in a few days we had passed 
the stormy Cape, where vessels are often detained for 
weeks. 

Soon after entering the Pacific, we felt that the Holy 
Spirit was with us ; and ere we reached the Sandwich Isl¬ 
ands, we hoped that some of our company had given their 
hearts to the Saviour. Our carpenter had been very pro¬ 
fane during the early part ofthe voyage, and, when reasoned 
with, he thought he could not help swearing. But when 
he determined to become a Christian, he strove hard and 
successfully against this great sin. Sometimes he would 
haul in a rope that might be accidentally dragging in the 
sea, without being told to do it. And when some of his 
companions wondered at this, he replied that the vessel 
belonged to Jesus, and he wished to help take care of it, 
even if he was not commanded by the officer to do what 
he knew he ought to do. It made us happy to think that 
God had blessed the little vessel on her first voyage. 

On the 20th of April, 1857, we had our first view of 
the snow-capped mountains of Hawaii, distant more than 
a hundred miles. The sunrise was beautiful, the clouds 
being tinged with a gorgeous crimson, and everything 
seemed to be in harmony with the feelings of joy which we 
experienced, when, at about six o’clock, as I was sweeping 
the western horizon with my glass, the majestic Mauna. 
Kea was distinctly seen ! Many hours did we spend that 
day on deck, awed by the stupendous pile which, so far 
iway from us, was piercing the clouds. 


24 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


We passed Hawaii on our left; and the next morning 
we had Maui and Molokai in full view. As we coasted 
along the shore of the latter, we were charmed with the 
numerous cascades which rushed down the rocky precipices 
near the sea. 

I shall not soon forget the first sight of Oahu, the 
island of my birth, with its rugged mountains, cocoa-nut 
groves, little villages, and, last of all, the beautiful harbor of 
Honolulu. Many years had rolled away since I had left it, 
then a mere boy. As we neared the land, a small schooner 
passed us, and her captain, standing upon her rail, shouted, 
“ Welcome to the Morning Star!” And then from the 
crowd of natives on her deck there went up a round of 
cheers, which seemed to come from full hearts. These 
people were very glad to see the Morning Star , of which 
they had heard so much, and toward the building of which 
many of their children had given their money. The captain 
who welcomed us was a brother of Dr. Gulick, of Micro¬ 
nesia ; and he is now the principal of a Girls’ Boarding- 
School at Waialua, Oahu. He came on board with Mr. 
Bond, and the watermelon, cocoa-nuts, potatoes, sweet and 
Irish, which they gave us, were a great luxury, after we 
had been so many months upon the deep. 

We had not been long at Honolulu, when the good 
people wished to give the Morning Star a new flag. At 
the time it was presented, thousands assembled near the 
vessel on the wharf; speeches were made, songs were sung, 
and great joy was expressed in what the children had 
done. Amid the shouts of the people, the new flag waa 
hoisted to the mast-head by Captain Moore. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


25 


CHAPTER VI. 

SHE VISITS THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

The Morning Star was first sent to the Marquesas 
Islands, to relieve the wants of the Hawaiian missionaries 
who were living there. Many years before, English mis¬ 
sionaries made some effort to cany the Gospel to the 
Marquesans; afterwards American missionaries renewed 
the attempt; but none of them saw fit to remain per¬ 
manently. 

In 1853 a chief of one of these islands, Matunui, came 
to the Sandwich Islands in a whale-ship, with his son-in- 
law, who was a Hawaiian, to ask for missionaries. Chris¬ 
tians felt that this was a Macedonian cry; and soon they 
sent back with him four Hawaiian missionaries and their 
wives. The names of the men were Kekela, Kauwealoha, 
Kuaihelani, and Kaiwi. Mr. Bicknell, an Englishman, 
also went with them, hoping that he might assist them. 

The people of Fatuhiva, where Matunui lived, seemed 
very glad to see him again. But only five days after 
they had landed, a French brig anchored there, bringing 
a Catholic priest. He demanded of Matunui and the 
other chiefs that these missionaries should be sent away, 
saying that the Marquesas Islands belonged to the French. 
One of the chiefs replied, “ No; the land is not yours. 
It belongs to this people ; and there never was a French¬ 
man born on Fatuhiva; and these teachers must not be 
sent back.” So the Hawaiians were not sent away; and 
they were very glad, you may be sure, to remain. Matu¬ 
nui, however, did not always treat them kindly. 

In 1856 a vessel was chartered at Honolulu to visit 


26 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


them, and Dr. Lowell Smith was sent to inquire of their 
welfare. On his return to the Sandwich Islands, he gave 
an account of his visit. “ I found our friends,” he said, 
“ all in usual health, cheerful and happy in their work; 
but they had been obliged, lor several months, to look a 
little too much on the ‘ shady side.’ ” You will ask, 
perhaps, “ What was this ‘ shady side.’ ” ? I will let Dr. 
Smith tell you: “ Brother Bicknell had sold his hand¬ 
saws, plane-irons, chisels, hatchets, and adze, and one or 
two razors, in exchange for food. And the native mis¬ 
sionaries had parted with most of their knives and forks 
and spoons, for the same purpose. They said that they 
would soon have been obliged to part with their clothes, 
if their supplies had not come to hand.” I am sure that 
you will consider these Hawaiians worthy of being fed and 
clothed, when you read what Dr. Smith says of them: 
“ The apparent respect and confidence with which the 
natives daily called upon them for favors or advice, re¬ 
minded me of what has occurred around my own door for 
the last twenty years.” 

It was the privilege of Dr. Smith to welcome Natua, 
the “ first-fruits ” of the mission, to the Church of Christ, 
giving him the baptismal name of Abraham, because he 
was the “ father of the faithful ” among the Marquesans. 
Let me tell you a pleasant story of this good man. In 
1858 a whale-ship visited his island; and, being on board 
of her, he was invited to sit at the cabin-table. But not 
a morsel of food would he taste, till he had asked a bless¬ 
ing. He tried to speak in English, and said : “ O Great 
Fader! Got no fader; got no moder; got no broder; 
got no sister! Make first the sea; make first the dry 
land ; make first the moon and stars ; make first the trees; 
then He make man. And now, Great Fader, give man 
his belly-full. Amen ! ” 

You may smile when you read this simple prayer. But 
you remember, do you not, those sweet words of the 
Saviour, “ She hath done what she could ” ? And Natua 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


27 


did what he could. What a sublime conception of God 
did he express ! Pardon the poor man’s English, because 
of his great thoughts. 

My young friends are glad, I do not doubt, that the 
Morning Star could go to visit these good missionaries the 
next year, before they should be too much in want. She 
took out two other Hawaiian laborers, Ivaukau and his 
wife, to help them ; and on her return she brought Mr. 
Bieknell to Honolulu, to superintend the printing of the 
Gospel of John and other books. 

On her way back, she touched at Hilo, on the island 
of Hawaii, where Mr. Coan lives, who was for so many 
years pastor of the largest church in the world. Some of 
you may remember the letter which he wrote at that time. 
Here is a part of it: “ The morning of the 7th of July 
dawned gloriously on Hawaii. The mountains were throw¬ 
ing off their night-robes, and adorning themselves in the 
light drapery of the dawn; the fields were slowly unveil¬ 
ing their peerless beauty ; the ocean began to reflect the 
first tinges of morning light, when suddenly the sound, 
‘ Hokuao ! ( Morning Star /) ITokuao ! ’ broke our slum¬ 
bers ! ‘ Hokuao ! Hokuao ! ’ echoed and reechoed from 

every headland and hill, and rolled back from every val¬ 
ley along our coast; and multitudes of children waked, 
and ran, and shouted, and caught the ‘ flying joy.’ All 
Hilo was active. Away in the eastern horizon floated 
that beauteous Star of Hope, while Venus, like an angel’s 
eye, looked down upon her from the vault of heaven. 
Then we felt that our prayers had been heard, and re¬ 
alized that the sleepless eye of Him who proclaims Him¬ 
self ‘ the Bright and Morning Star,’ was also looking down 
upon that little consecrated bark. And while our spirit¬ 
ual organs seemed to catch the notes of the celestial 
anthem, as ‘ the morning stars sang together,’ our bodily 
ears did hear many voices of the ‘ sons of God,’ as they 
shouted for joy.’ ” 


28 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


CHAPTER VII. 

SHE SETS OUT FOR MICRONESIA. 

By the 7th of August the Morning Star was ready to 
start for Micronesia. A farewell meeting was held on 
board; missionaries, foreigners, and natives crowding her 
deck. We were commended to the kind care of our 
heavenly Father, with prayer, both in English and Ha¬ 
waiian; the “ Missionary Hymn ” was sung; the benediction 
was pronounced; the moorings of your little vessel were 
cast off, and our long voyage of more than twenty thou¬ 
sand miles was resumed, after a pleasant visit of three 
months, among a people so recently converted from hea¬ 
thenism. 

We touched twice at Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Isl¬ 
ands, and held pleasant meetings on shore. All were 
delighted to see us, and to contribute something for our 
comfort. But this last of Clnistian lands that we were to 
see for many years, faded at length in the distance. And 
yet, as we were wafted farther and farther from the friends 
we loved, our joy only increased; for we thought, “ Soon 
we shall be proclaiming the love of Christ to those who 
are sitting in darkness.” 

After we had been fourteen days without the sight of 
land, the good chronometer which the Sunday-School 
children of Essex Street Church, Boston, had given to the 
Morning Star , told us that we were nearing Uderik, one 
of the Marshall Islands. Oh, how eager I was to catch 
my first glimpse of a Micronesian island! And do you 
not think that I was very happy to be the first one to see 
the cocoa-nut tree tops just rising out of the ocean ? With 




WELCOME OF THE MORNING STAR 









30 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


a burst of joy I shouted, “ Land ho ! ” And instantly the 
word was taken up by almost all on board, till the fishes 
around us might have wondered at a sound so new and 
strange. 

We passed near enough to see with the naked eye 
several specks upon the beach. These, the spy-glass 
showed us, were human beings. Gladly would we have 
stopped to tell them of our errand; but we were obliged 
to pass them by ; and even to this day no missionary has 
landed there. Poor people ! Do you not pity them ? 
Perhaps the new vessel will bear the “ glad tidings ” to 
them. 

Two days later we passed so near Mentchikoff Island 
that we could see the men, women, and children upon the 
beach. Some of them waved their mats to us, and we in 
turn waved our handkerchiefs to them. You will find a 
picture, illustrating this first welcome of the Morning Star 
by the heathen of Micronesia, on the preceding page. 

It was not long before several of them pushed oil* in a 
proa to visit us. They were strange-looking men; and 
the strangest thing about them was the pair of ear-rings 
which they wore.- Only think of having a hole in the 
lower part of one’s ear, large enough to put a man’s 
arm through ! Just look at the picture of the Marshall 
Islander on the opposite page, and you will see what I 
mean. 

The narrow strip around the tortoise-shell ear-ring is a 
part of the ear itself. The large hole has been made 
by constant stretching. When the ear-rings are taken 
out, they often hang it up; in other words, they put the 
lower part of the ear on the top of the ear. The long 
hair is firmly tied in a knot on the back of the head, 
which is sometimes adorned with white lilies and a coro¬ 
net of shells, curiously wrought. You see that this man 
is carefully tattooed. 

One of the men who came off to us, asked for a knife 
and tobacco, the latter of which the Morning Star had 


A MARSHALL ISLANDER. 


















32 


STORY OF TIIE MORNING STAR. 


not for sale. He offered in return mother-of-pearl fish¬ 
hooks, nicely contrived and neatly finished, a few cocoa- 
nuts, and several broken sea-shells. 

Not Ions: after this we were visited bv another man, 
who came off to us in a canoe just large enough to carry 
himself. It was so frail, so old, so leaky, that it seemed 
as if every wave would swamp it. He had to keep bail¬ 
ing it all the while, by means of a skilfully contrived scoop, 
with which lie tossed out the water with great ease and 
rapidity. I held up to him a file, a jews-harp, and a letter, 
which I had written at the suggestion of Captain Moore. 
It read much as follows : — 

Morning Star, Any. 20, 1857. | 

S. G. Moore, Captain, j 

To the Inhabitants of MentchiJcoff Island: 

Glad tidings ! “ Glory to God in the highest; peace 

on earth; good-will toward men.” “ God so loved the 
world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoso¬ 
ever believeth in Him, might not perish, but have ever¬ 
lasting life.” 

We hope soon to bring you the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 
and some of His missionaries to teach you. 

Very truly yours, 

Hiram Bingham, Jr., 
Missionary to Micronesia. 

P. S. — We left Honolulu August 7th, and are bound 
for Strong’s Island. 

This man came near enough to take these articles from 
my hands. The file, however, slipped from him, and he 
instantly dove after it; but it outstripped him in its bot¬ 
tom-ward flight, and he returned without it. The letter, 
which he still held in his hand, was completely drenched; 
but he laid it with care upon the little platform between 
the canoe and its outrigger. I gave him another file ; and 
Captain Moore gave him some fish hooks and hard bread. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


33 


After this friendly interview with these natives, we 
squared our yards for Kusaie, and soon left them astern. 
Perhaps some of my young friends will ask whether the 
Marshall Islanders could read the letter which I had 
written them, and which I may call my first sermon to the 
Micronesians. We did not suppose that they could ; but 
we hoped that they would one day show it to some white 
man, who could tell them of the “ glad tidings ” which it 
contained. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

HER VISIT TO KUSAIE. 

Though it was only three hundred and fifty miles 
from Mentchikoff Island to Kusaie, we were ten days 
in making the passage, owing to head-winds and calms 
Much of Micronesia is in the “doldrums,” as the sailors 
call the low latitudes; and often, while passing from one 
island to another, our patience is sorely tried by fitful 
breezes, ocean-currents, and the torrid sun. 

On the 8th of September we dropped anchor in one 
of the beautiful harbors of Kusaie. What a feast to 
our weary eyes was this gem of the Pacific, — so green, 
so romantic, so lovely ! All about us there rose abruptly 
hills and mountains, covered to their very summits with 
the densest verdure. Beneath cocoa-nut and bread-fruit 
and banana and banyan trees nestled the picturesque 
dwellings of the natives. Here and there a light canoe 
passed rapidly along, bearing the rich, spontaneous fruits 
which had only to be gathered as they were needed. 
Snow-white birds sailed gracefully along, at a dizzy height, 
toward the dark mountain-sides. 

On a lovely islet, which the missionaries called “ Dove 
3 



34 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


Island,” stood the cottage of Mr. Snow; and not far 
off were the houses of Dr. Pierson and Kanoa. Oh, 
how beautiful was this secluded spot! It might have 
been called a fairy scene. We could not help think¬ 
ing of the words, — 

“ Where every prospect pleases.” 

Too soon, however, we felt the force of those other 
words, — 

“And only man is vile.” 

A house was pointed out to us, where a few white 
men and several natives of Rotuma had been for many 
days blockaded by the Kusaieans. Some of them had 
designed to kill the king and take the island; and the 
missionaries had good reason to believe that these reck¬ 
less men had wished to destroy their lives. But God 
had mercifully preserved His servants thus far. Before 
our arrival several of the insurgents had been slain ; 
and others had taken refuge in the house to which I 
have referred. You will not wonder that our brethren 
were very glad to see the Morning Star, for which they 
had been looking so earnestly! It was a great re¬ 
lief to them to have the little packet so near them, 
ready for any emergency. She brought a mail, more¬ 
over, that contained tidings of their friends for more than 
a year. 

We soon assembled in Mr. Snow’s house to thank 
our heavenly Father for all- his “ mercy and truth.” 
And through His gracious influence our little vessel 
was soon made a peacemaker. A meeting between 
the king and the leading insurgents was held on board 
of her; and it was arranged that most of them should 
leave the island at an early day. Four of the Rotu- 
mas we took with us to Ponape. 

The king declared that he wanted no white men to 
remain on his island, except the missionaries. He knew 
that the latter came, not to kill and to rule, but to 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


35 


preach the gospel of peace; and he felt quite willing 
to trust them. The missionaries were very glad to 
hear him express his confidence in them ; and although 
scarcely any one had been converted during their five 
years of hard labor, they did not think of giving up 
and going elsewhere. When Mr. Snow told him of his 
purpose to visit Ponape for a few weeks, he seemed re¬ 
luctant to let him go. 

We were happy, during the visit, to make the ac¬ 
quaintance of Keduka, one of the earliest converts. 
Mr. Snow told a pleasant story about him, in con¬ 
nection with Dr. Pierson’s arrival in the Belle. He 
was away from home on some pressing business, when 
he saw a vessel. He immediately left his business, and 
hastened to the pilot, to go with him to the ship. “ Me 
think missionary stop board that ship,” he afterward 
said to Mr. Snow. “ Me want to go ’long pilot ; look 
quick. Me no care nothing ’bout 'nother ship come 
before; but me think missionary in this ship; that’s 
what for I want go; look plenty.” This man is still 
one of the leading Christians in the little church on 
Kusaie. 

Taking Mr. Snow and Dr. Pierson with their families, 
we set sail for Ponape, September 15th, to visit the 
missionaries there, and to hold a meeting of the Mi¬ 
cronesia mission, to decide what new stations should 
be occupied, and what men should commence them. 


CHAPTER IX. 

HER VISIT TO PONAPE. 

On the 23d of September we entered the Metalanim 
harbor, on the east side of Ponape, mountain-locked, like 



36 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


the one we had just left, with surroundings less abrupt, 
indeed, but more grand. Here too we saw the same in¬ 
tense green ; and on our left we beheld two picturesque 
water-falls, which greatly enhanced the beauty of the 
place. On our right, standing by itself, was the “ Sugar 
Loaf,” several hundred feet high; and were any of you 
to see it, you would say at once, “ It is a Sugar Loaf.” 
All who visit this place, are struck with the extraordinary 
likeness. 

At Shalong, near this harbor, was the home of Dr. 
Gulick. We were very glad when he came alongside of 
our vessel in his little boat, called the Soso. We had on 
board his gray-haired father; and their meeting, after a 
five years’ separation, was truly affecting. 

Ponape is a much larger island than Kusaie ; and there 
were three missionary stations on it. Word was soon 
sent to the other brethren that the Morning Star had ar¬ 
rived. Our friends were delighted to hear the tidings ; 
for the food of some of them was nearly gone, and they 
found it hard to buy any of the natives. Indeed, they 
were about making their necessities a subject of special 
prayer; when lo ! He who hath “ the times and the sea¬ 
sons ” in His own hand, sent the missionary ship to them 
just at the right time ! 

Missionary life on Ponape has always been one of much 
hardship. But those who have been sowing in tears, are 
now reaping in joy. Some of the trials which in early 
years they were subjected to, will appear in the following 
extracts from a letter of Mr. Doane: — “ Not a native 
boy or girl, man or woman, can we get to do anything for 
us. Our family work I am obliged to share with my wife; 
and my co-laborers do likewise. I am familiar with the 
kitchen and the wash-tub. All the out-door work, more¬ 
over, I must do. I must go after firewood, bring it home 
in a small canoe, and then cut it. I must bring my own 
water; I must attend to the watering and feeding of my 
cow. I must, in short, help myself, if I would be helped. 


STORY OF TIIE MORNING STAR. 


37 


And in this hot climate it requires no little energy to go 
forward, and do all that is needful.” And yet this good 
brother was “ not disheartened.” He felt, moreover, that 
his trials might help forward the work which he was do¬ 
ing. “ One good result at least,” he wrote, “ will come 
from all this. When the natives see us toiling thus, all 
wet with perspiration, all sore with toil, coats off, perhaps 
in the water up to the knees, they will see that we have 
not come here to play the gentleman.” 

While the Morning Star lay in the harbor of Meta- 
lanim, a meeting was held on board of her, for the sake of 
giving the missionaries at Shalong a public opportunity to 
testify their joy, and also to impress upon the natives the 
nature of the work which she was doing. Captain Moore 
and others made addresses, which Dr. Gulick interpreted. 
The flag was exhibited, with other articles of interest, 
among them a large Bible. The exercises were closed by 
singing, 

“ Waft, waft, ye winds, His story,” &c. 

From Metalanim harbor we proceeded to Mr. Doane’s 
station, in the Jokoij tribe, on the northwest side of the 
island, to take on board his goods. While this was going 
on, the Wajai (a high chief) came to Mr. Doane’s house, 
and commenced stoning the people, saying that our mis¬ 
sionary brother was leaving them because they did not 
come to hear him preach on the Sabbath. 

He and other chiefs accompanied Mr. Doane to the 
Morning Star in several canoes. For a short time we 
endeavored to entertain them with instrumental and vocal 
music. Mr. Doane then implored God’s blessing upon 
them, and bade them “ good-bye.” You will be glad to 
know that his labors among that tribe were not in vain. 
Many of the people, including this very Wajai, are now 
coming to Jesus. 

From this station we proceeded to Ron Kiti, the resi¬ 
dence of Mr. Sturges. In his hospitable dwelling we had 


38 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


a pleasant home for a week and more. His house stood 
upon a high hill, surrounded with bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, 
and papaw trees, and overlooking the smooth sheet of 
water where the Morning Star lay safely moored. 

We enjoyed the few days which we spent on Ponape 
very much. Those who dwell in Christian lands, can 
hardly imagine the pleasure which missionaries derive 
from intercourse with each other. It is “ like the pre¬ 
cious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the 
beard, even Aaron’s beard ; that went down to the skirts 
of his garments.” But the time soon came for our parting 
words. The isles were waiting for the law ! 

It had been decided to commence new stations on the 
Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Although there were some 
five thousand people on Ponape, even after the terrible 
ravages made by the small-pox, it was thought best to 
send Dr. Pierson and Mr. Doane to the Marshall Islands, 
as also Kanoa and myself to the Gilbert Islands. Some 
of us, therefore, must turn away from these “ heavenly 
places in Christ Jesus,” and preach the “ unsearchable 
riches ” where they had not been known. 

And so, on the 15th of October, we set sail and en¬ 
tered the Metalanim harbor again, to take on board Mrs. 
Gulick (with three children), who was going to the Sand¬ 
wich Islands for her health. While attempting to get to 
sea, the Morning Star struck on one of the thousand reefs 
with which these waters abound, where she thumped about 
for ten or fifteen minutes; but the Keeper of Israel mer¬ 
cifully cared for us; and before night we were safely 
under way. Dr. Gulick then left us to return in his little 
boat to his “ hermit-home,” while we bore away for East¬ 
ern Micronesia. You will not wonder that he called to 
mind the following words : — 

“ Thou who dost the winds control, 

Guide our vessel to her goal; 

Pour the sunshine o’er her track; 

Father, lead the stonn-cloud back. 



STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


39 


“ Infant hopes are centred there, 

Infant voices raised in prayer; 

Infant hands have launched the bark, 

Safely speed thee, Gospel Ark! ” 

—♦— 

CHAPTER X. 

HER VISIT TO APAIANG. 

We touched at Wellington and McAskill Islands, and 
then at Kusaie to return Mr. and Mrs. Snow to their 
home, henceforth to be so lonely, in consequence of the 
removal of Dr. Pierson and Kanoa. With the latter were 
two Gilbert Islanders, a man and his wife, who had drifted 
away from their own group. They had taught Kanoa a 
few words of their language, which were of much use to 
him in beginning his new work. 

Your missionary vessel was now loaded down as much 
as she could be with safety ; for she had on her decks 
(besides much of the lumber for my little framed house 
which I took out from Honolulu) poles and posts for 
building houses, as soon as possible, upon the new islands 
to which the other missionaries were going. 

Though the Morning Star sailed from Kusaie for the 
Gilbert Islands, she was compelled by the winds to pass 
near Ebon. Of our exciting interview with the people 
there, I will tell you in the next chapter. 

It was on the 13th of November that I climbed almost 
to the top of the mast, and caught the first sight of what 
proved to be, for so many years, our island-home. It was 
Apaiang, a low coral reef, some fifty miles in circumference, 
enclosing one of those great lagoons which I have already 
described. The highest parts of this reef were only a few 
feet above the ocean ; but on these were many cocoa-nut 
and pandanus trees. The lowest parts were covered with 



40 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


water at high tide. The lagoon was about eighteen miles 
long, six wide, and one hundred feet deep. The land 
surrounding it did not average more than a quarter of a 
mile in width ; but on this narrow strip, such as it was, 
were many villages. 

We landed first on an islet, belonging to the west¬ 
ern side, where the reef is lowest. There we found a 
solitary old man, walking among the trees. He was the 
first Gilbert Islander to receive the missionaries, who had 
come to live among his people ! On the 17tli of Novem¬ 
ber the Morning Star entered the beautiful lagoon, and 
came to anchor near Koinawa, the king’s village, on the 
eastern side. 

Next morning the king, at our request, came on board, 
and, learning something of our wishes from the Gilbert 
Islanders with us, he seemed pleased ; and, putting his 
hand on me and on my lumber, he pointed to the shore. 
I took the hint, and the very next day we began to build. 
The house was twenty-four feet by sixteen, and though 
we took time to shingle it, much to the wonder of the 
natives, in less than two weeks it had been made so com¬ 
fortable as to be ready for housekeeping. We afterwards 
painted it white, except the blinds, which were green, and 
put on piazzas. We called it “ Happy Home.” 

In the picture of the station, on the opposite page, it is 
the largest building on the right. On the left is Kanoa’s 
house, somewhat like it, but made chiefly of cocoa-nut 
wood, with pandanus thatch for roofing. The buildings 
from which you see smoke issuing are our kitchens. You 
notice that they have no chimneys, and the smoke escapes 
through openings in the gable-ends. Back of Kanoa’s 
house stands a school-house, which we built for the pupils 
of Mrs. Bingham and Kaliolo. 

The water in the foreground is a part of the lagoon. 
See that poor woman dragging a canoe along the shore, 
in which her husband sits, leisurely smoking a pipe. The 
wind is ahead ; but little does he care how hard she must 


MISSION STATION AT APAIANQ. 



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42 


STORY OF TI1E MORNING STAR. 


toil beneath the burning sun to tow him, as if she were a 
mule or donkey, to his home, some five or six miles away. 
Oh, how much woman, in this Christian land, owes to the 
Gospel! A part of this picture serves to illustrate what 
is mentioned on page 52. 

On the 2d of December, 1857, just one year from the 
day of our departure from Boston, the Morning Star was 
ready to take her departure from Apaiang. And now we 
were to be left alone among these savages ! Would they 
treat us kindly ? Or would they steal from us, and per¬ 
haps murder us ? Could we live happily among them ? 
Should we not be very lonely ? By remaining on board 
our little vessel, we might be carried again to dear friends. 
What, think you, were our thoughts in such an hour ? 
We were glad to remain, to teach the people, and to lead 
them to Jesus. And while we loved your missionary 
packet, in which we had sailed so many thousand miles, 
we would not detain her longer. Getting into my little 
canoe, I paddled off to the shore, while the children’s 
messenger of peace went her way on other errands of 
love. From that time forward, we were to have no Amer¬ 
ican fellow-laborers, and yet we were not alone. The 
Saviour, as He had promised, was with us ! 


CHAPTER XL 

HER VISIT TO EBON. 

Ebon is one of tdie Marshall Islands, all of which are 
coral reefs. As more rain falls on them than on the 
Gilbert Islands, they are much more fertile, and abound, 
not only in cocoa-nuts and the fruit of the pandanus or 
screw-pine, but also in bread-fruit, and a variety of the 
taro, the last being a vegetable which is used much as we 




STORY OF THE MOKNING STAR. 


43 


use potatoes. Some bananas are also raised. Neither 
goats, nor sheep, nor cattle, as I have said, can live on 
either the Marshall or Gilbert Islands ; and of course the 
natives never have any fresh beef or mutton or milk or 
butter. But in both groups dogs and rats abound, and 
there are some cats and fowls. Land-birds are scarce, but 
sea-birds are plenty everywhere. 

The Marshall Islanders are bold navigators, and fre- 

• • O 7 

quently set out in their proas, without any compass, for 
small islands distant a hundred miles. Sometimes they 
get adrift, however, and wander about over the ocean for 
weeks, before they find a landing-place. 

It was in this way that the party of which I have 
spoken in another place, drifted to Kusaie, in a starving 
condition, and fully expecting to be put to death. But 
they were treated kindly, and permitted to return to their 
homes in peace. God had commanded the winds to take 
them to that distant island, that they might see what the 
missionaries were doing, and so be ready to welcome them. 
Some of these were among the people whom we met, as I 
have said, when sailing from Kusaie to Apaiang. We had 
heard much of their barbarity; for they had made a 
covenant of death, and had resolved that every white 
man who should set his foot upon their island, should be 
killed ! Only* a little while before, indeed, a vessel had 
been seized by them, and all the crew slain. 

And now, as we saw one large proa suddenly shoot out 
from the lagoon, and then another and another, (in spite 
of the roughness of the sea,) we began to fear lest our 
little vessel might be seized also. What then was our 
sense of relief, when, as Dr. Pierson addressed the first 
proa that reached us in the language of Ebon, the man 
who was steering recognized him, and exclaimed, repeat¬ 
edly, and with great joy, “ Doketur ! (Doctor) Doketur ! 
Mitchinari ! (missionary) Mitchinari ! ” All in the canoe 
Decame highly excited, laughing most joyously. The 
news soon spread like wildfire among the fleet of seven* 


44 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


teen proas. Some of the natives soon boarded us, and 
when they learned that Dr. Pierson was expecting to re¬ 
turn in the course of one or two “ moons,” they were 
greatly delighted. See a picture of this scene on the 
title-page. 

We felt that “ the set time to favor ” them had come, 
and that the God of missions had prepared the way for 
His servants. Kaibuke, the head chief, welcomed the 
missionaries on their return from Apaiang, assuring them 
again that their lives and property should be perfectly 
safe. He told them to select any place on the island 
which they might prefer. He called Dr. Pierson his son, 
and said that any injury done to him would be regarded 
as done to himself. They soon chose a spot upon which 
to build, called by the people “ Rube,” and they were 
much pleased with the cheerfulness of the natives while 
assisting them in putting up their houses. 

The missionaries were happy in the prospect before 
them, as you will judge from what Mr. Doane wrote at 
that time. “ Let me be a missionary,” he said, “ a pioneer 
missionary, if my Master so wills it, and I ask no other, 
no higher employment in this world. To enter in among 
a people, lost, depraved, exposed to endless ruin, and tell 
them of the way of life, of the blessed Saviour, of the 
riches of his dying love, — this is all and* the only work 
I ask for in this life.” 

The Marshall Islanders have been very treacherous un¬ 
til recently, and even now it might not be sale for white 
men to live on some of the islands. But Dr. Pierson, Mr. 
Doane, and their wives, were not afraid to be left by the 
Morning Star; and after their houses had been partially 
built, the vessel set out for Honolulu, Christmas, 1857. 
But it was a great comfort to them, I can assure you, (as 
it was to all of us,) that the Morning Star was to return 
next year. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


45 


CHAPTER XIL 

WAITING FOR THE MORNING STAR. 

As soon as we were left upon Apaiang, we began to learn 
the language which we were to use; but, as none of the 
people spoke English, it was slow work. One word after 
another we picked up, by pointing to this thing and that, 
by representing various motions, as rising up, walking, 
sitting down, throwing, and so on. The little children 
delighted in counting their fingers for us, that we might 
learn to count as they did. And this was what they said : 
“ Teuana, uoua, tenua, aua, nimaua, onoua, itua, wanua, 
ruaiua, tebwina.” Would you have ever dreamed that 
they were saying, “ One, two, three, four,” &c. ? 

We had hardly been in our new home three months, 
when a party of Gilbert Islanders from Tarawa, not far 
off, made an attack upon our people in a fleet of one 
hundred proas. Our king assembled his army about our 
house to await the onset, as the other party seemed to be 
coming directly towards us. They changed their course, 
however, and the battle was fought some six miles away. 
The king who had befriended us when we landed, was 
killed, but his people were victorious. 

Next morning I visited the battle-ground ; and there 
I saw among the dead six women, who had helped their 
husbands in the fight. We were very sorry that so many 
had been killed; but we were thankful that the savages 
had been driven off; for it is quite possible that they 
might have slain us, and taken possession of our little 
house. 

And here I must explain the engraving on the next 
leaf. It represents two Gilbert Island warriors, going to 
battle. Formerly this people had no guns, but fought 
with clubs and spears ; and even now they like to take 
their old weapons into battle with them, to use when theij 


46 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


powder is gone. Some of the spears are armed with 
sharks’ teeth, and are almost twenty feet long. To pro¬ 
tect themselves they have a kind of armor, made of 
cocoa-nut fibre cord. A part of this resembles a great¬ 
coat ; and it comes up behind their heads, to shield them 
from behind, or when they run. They also make cover¬ 
ings for their legs, arms, and head, of the same material, 
and still another covering for the head, of the skin of the 
porcupine-fish. The picture opposite is quite lifelike. 

The Morning Star will not be here for some time. 
Let me take you, therefore, on a missionary tour. We 
put up some bread and boiled salt-beef; a little rice, and 
a little butter, if we have any ; a saucepan, a keg of 
water from our well, for the water in most wells is very 
bad. We take a mat, a blanket or two, and loading up 
our little boat, which we call the Alfred, (for we have 
neither carriages, nor horses, nor mules, nor donkeys, you 
know,) we set off for a heathen village. 

A crowd of naked men, boys, and girls meet us as we 
land; and we go directly to the manedba of the village. 
The people throng about us ; and we try to teach them 
to sing and pray, and we speak of Jesus’ love. As we 
close our eyes for prayer, one and another shout to those 
near them, “ Matu, matu! ” (“ Go to sleep; go to 
sleep ! ”) meaning, “ Shut your eyes.” After a general 
commotion, in which some bow their faces to the ground, 
the prayer is offered. At its close, as the missionary 
opens his eyes, a number begin to shout, “ Uti, uti! ” 
(“ Wake up, wake up ! ”) and, with a burst of laughter, 
these rude worshippers sit up again. 

I begin to preach. But the leading man of the village 
may break in upon me, by asking if I will not take a 
pipe. “ I never smoke,” is the answer. Next he may 
offer me some molasses and water to drink, or the milk 
of a green cocoa-nut. Sometimes we tell them that we 
have not come to eat and drink, but to teach them. It 
is often better, however, to stop preaching, and drink 


GILBERT ISLAND WARRIORS. 




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48 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


from the cocoa-nut, and then go on again. After service 
we often look up the blind and sick of the village, and 
teach them in their own houses. 

We go to the next village. Perhaps we find the 
maneaba preoccupied. A man has died, and his body 
has been brought to the big house, and is laid out in state. 
Women sit by it, day after day, even for weeks. You 
will wonder how they can do so, especially in such a hot 
climate. Poor creatures ! They think that in this way 
they are treating the dead man kindly. Most of the 
time the body is covered by a mat; and frequently be¬ 
neath the same mat lies the dead man’s wife, grieving 
over her loss. When at length the corpse is about to be 
buried, the wife often keeps his skull, and makes it her 
constant companion. (See the right-hand figure in the 
picture on page 51.) 

A man is generally buried under his own house, and 
only a few inches below the surface of the ground; for 
the people think that if there should be room for another 
corpse above him, there would soon be another to fill the 
place. Sometimes, however, bodies are rolled up in 
mats, and laid away in a loft of the house. 

When we find the maneaba thus occupied, the friends 
of the deceased are usually willing to listen to me while I 
urge them to prepare for death. But sometimes we find 
the people assembled for a feast. If they have only 
cocoa-nut milk to drink, or cocoa-nut molasses and water, 
they are generally willing to hear me speak of the land 
where men never hunger; and yet they may be very 
desirous to know what kind of food they may expect 
there. 

If the people are drinking manning , (fermented toddy,) 
some of them may be very noisy, and interrupt us while 
we preach to them of temperance. When they are in¬ 
toxicated, they often quarrel, and kill one another; 
sometimes they stab themselves. When the toddy is first 
obtained from the bud of the cocoa-nut, which is cut twice 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


49 


a day, it is pleasant and wholesome. But if it is allowed to 
stand three or four days, it ferments and becomes hurtful. 
A great deal of it, nevertheless, is drunk in the Gilbert 
Islands ; and they need missionaries to teach them better. 

When night overtakes us, we spread our mats on 
the ground, hang up our musquito-netting in somo 
native house, and lie down to sleep. In the morning, 
perhaps, while we are eating the food which we have 
brought, the people will crowd around us, saying, “ lvamai 
teutana,” (“ Give me a little piece.”) If we refuse them, 
they may call us “ bataoti,” (“ stingy.”) But we could 
not give all of them even a little piece ; if we should, our 
supply would soon be gone. 

After several days have been spent in this way, the tour 
is completed, and we spread our sail for the white cottage 
among the cocoa-nut trees. As we cross the lagoon, we 
enjoy an hour of rest, which is very refreshing. 

But some bright-eyed boy may say, “ You have taken 
us on a preaching tour, but you have not told us when and 
where you began to preach at home.” Well, I will say 
a word on this point just here. I had been living on 
Apaiang about six months, when I began to address the 
natives publicly in their own tongue. At first I spoke to 
them in the maneaba of Koinawa, a large village near us 
where the king lives. This building answered the purpose 
of a chapel very well; still we thought it best to build a 
small church, to be dedicated to the worship of the true 
God. 

You have a picture of this building on the next 
leaf. We are going to church, you see; and Kanoa, my 
Hawaiian associate, is blowing a shell, to call the people 
to meeting, as we have no bell. Kanoa’s wife, with one 
of her children, is just behind us. Be sure to look at 
the king, son of the one who was killed, in his long 
shirt, and under his umbrella. The queen will come too, 
for both are very regular in their attendance; and, what 
is better still, we hope they are Christians. 

4 


50 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


You will say, perhaps, that some things in this picture 
look more like breaking the Sabbath than keeping it; 
and you are quite right. You will learn from the scene, 
however, how the Gilbert Islanders dishonor God’s holy 
day. How much they need the Gospel! 

But let me proceed with my explanation. The woman 
whom you see is a heathen, carrying her husband’s skull 
as she goes on a visit to some other village. A party of 
the natives are pressing scraped cocoa-nuts in an oil-press, 
to get the oil to buy tobacco with. The dog is one of 
the many, as heathenish as their masters, which greatly 
annoy us. 

Three men are climbing cocoa-nut trees in as many 
different ways. The one at the right has notches cut in 
his tree, large enough to hold the second joint of the 
great toe. He is going after his toddy, which he will 
give his child instead of milk, as they have no cows or 
goats. The man in the middle walks up the tree in a 
wonderful way. If one of his hands should slip, he would 
fall, and perhaps break his neck. The man at the left 
has his feet tied together, a few inches apart; and while 
he holds himself away from the tree by pushing off with 
one arm, and clasping the other round the trunk, he 
draws up his feet, which easily cling to the tree by the 
help of the cord which binds them together ; and then he 
straightens himself up again. The second way of climb¬ 
ing is the most difficult. On the right you will see a 
pandanus-tree. How strange its roots, which grow out of 
the trunk, and run off into the ground ! How large the 
great bunches of fruit ! They sometimes weigh forty or 
fifty pounds. When they are ripe, you can pull them to 
pieces, each piece being a separate conical seed some 
three inches long, the small end of which is fibrous, and 
contains a sweet juice, is chewed, and the juice is sucked 
out. See the great papai leaves, back of the chapel, 
coming up out of a pit! You would call them giant 
calla leaves. The papai is a root which grows in the 


SUNDAY MORNING ON APAIANG. 

!• 



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52 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


mud, and is sometimes as large as a half-barrel. The 
natives eat it as a luxury. 

The houses of the natives on the left have, you see, 
no sides, and the eaves are very low. We must always 
stoop to enter them, but, when we have once entered, we 
can see what the people are doing in the next man’s 
house, and so on, through the village. The hut in the 
distance is a kitchen where poor old women are compelled 
to do the cooking, half-smothered by the smoke. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

HER YEARLY VISITS. 

The annual return of the Morning Star was always 
looked forward to with great interest. It would be diffi¬ 
cult to say who of the missionaries wished to see her 
most; but I can assure my young readers that some of 
the most joyous days of my life were those on which she 
hove in sight. 

The heathen children soon learned how we felt, when 
the time of her arrival drew near. As soon as a sail was 
seen in the distant horizon, a shout of “ Te ro ! ” (“ Sail 
ho ! ”) was set up. Our waiting ears were not long in 
catching the sound, and immediately we sprang for the 
spy-glass. With almost breathless suspense it was direct¬ 
ed to the far-off vessel. For a moment everybody kept 
still. If the “ white flag ” was seen at the mast-head, we 
were sure that she was coming ; and shouts of joy, the 
clapping of hands, and happy faces, gave indications of 
the hearty welcome we were ready to give her. A large 
white flag, with the word WELCOME upon it, was 
speedily flung to the breeze from a pole tied to the top 
of a lofty cocoa-nut tree; and the missionaries’ wives 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


53 


made baste to prepare shore-comforts for the weary voy¬ 
agers. The picture on page 41 will give you an imperfect 
idea of the scene. 

Kanoa and myself, launching our little Alfred, went out 
to meet the Morning Star in mid-lagoon. Oh, what 
moments were those during which we watched the dear 
vessel, as steadily, but surely, we came nearer and nearer 
to each other! Whom shall we greet on board ? The 
same kind captain, or some new lace ? What mission¬ 
aries shall we find, coming to help us ? What mis¬ 
sionary father from the Sandwich Islands will counsel 
and encourage us ? What shall we hear of fathers and 
mothers, brothers and sisters ? Are they yet alive ? 
And that wicked Rebellion ! What battles have there 
been ? What victories and what defeats ? Oh, this 
dreadful suspense, when the life of our father-land is in 
peril! 

And then there was the large mail-bag, with its many 
letters from the many friends who had remembered us in 
our loneliness. We had hardly time to think of the good 
things to eat which the children’s vessel had brought us, — 
the flour and salt-beef", and potatoes, sweet and Irish, (we 
had eaten none for months,) the watermelons, the ba¬ 
nanas, the oranges, the nice jars of jelly and cans of 
fruit which loving friends (God bless them !) had sent us. 
And the new clothes, and shoes, and umbrellas, were 
worth thinking of, had there not been so many other 
things of more value. 

And now, as the beautiful vessel sails past our boat, a 
line is thrown £o us. In a moment we are on board, and 
then the hearty shakes of the hand, the searching glances 
for familiar faces, the thrilling items of news! In a few 
moments we are at anchor off the mission premises. 
Friends go down with us into our little boat; the mail- 
bag and a few packages are put in, with a pail of potatoes 
for immediate use; and we pull for the shore. 

Our wives watch us with intense earnestness, to see if 


54 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


they can recognize those who have come so many hun¬ 
dreds of miles to our island home. The natives crowd 
down to the beach to meet us; and, taking up one parcel 
after another, go with us to the humble cottage of the 
missionary, and almost immediately fill every place avail 
able for sitting. Perhaps the missionary’s wife welcomes 
to her door the first white woman that she has seen in 
nearly two years. The Hawaiian missionaries assemble 
with us, and thanks are returned to God for bringing the 
Morning Star once more to us in safety. 

Such horn's of meeting are precious, and words fiy 
rapidly. The captain and friends visit our little schools, 
or attend worship in our chapel. In due time our sup¬ 
plies are landed ; our mail to friends is put on board ; 
and the little vessel takes her leave, to be absent again 
for many long, long months. Happy, golden hours ! 
Bright sunbeams through the thick clouds of isolation ! 
How soon they are gone ! But our hearts are refreshed, 
and we gird ourselves anew for the work before us. 

Once in two years we join the vessel, to go with her to 
Ponape, distant one thousand miles, to attend the meeting 
of the Micronesia mission. This absence of two months, 
much of the time being spent on board the Morning Star , 
renews our acquaintance with the little craft that brought 
us to our Micronesian home. We think often of those 
dear children that desired to help us in our blessed work 
of telling the heathen of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As we draw near the different stations, where our fel¬ 
low-missionaries dwell, we often say, “ How little do these 
dear friends know where the Morning Star is just now; 
and how soon their hearts will overflow with joy ! ” And 
how little did we know whether our friends were alive or 
not! For a whole year, perhaps, we had heard no tidings 
of them, so little intercourse is there between these isl¬ 
ands. How eagerly did we watch the canoes, as they 
came to meet us, to see if they contained a brother mis 
sionary 1 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


55 


I well remember the sad news which we told to one 
brother, as he boarded us. His wife had died in Honolulu, 
months before! He had been waiting seven months for a 
vessel, which left him on Ponape, intending to call in five 
weeks, and take him to his invalid companion. 


CHAPTER XIV. 

SOME THINGS SHE BROUGHT, AND HOW WE USED THEM 

In this chapter I wish to tell you about a few of the 
good things which the Morning Star brought us. One of 
these was a nice surf-boat, which we called the Star of 
Peace. It was mainly purchased with money given to us 
by Captain Moore and his crew, when they took leave of 
us in December, 1857. 

We had visited every part of Apaiang in the little Al¬ 
fred; and we had even crossed in her to Tarawa, the 
largest island of the group, being towed by one of the 
great war-proas, which was bearing presents from our king 
to a high chief, whose two sons had been recently be¬ 
trothed to two of his daughters. 

But there were other islands which could not be reached 
in our small boat, and on which the Gospel had never been 
preached. To these we longed to go. One of them 
could be seen from the top of the cocoa-nut trees near our 
house ; but the ocean channel was more than twenty miles 
wide, and the current often so swift as to make it very 
unsafe to venture across in the Alfred. 

We were very glad, therefore, when the new surf-boat 
arrived in the Morning Star , and still more glad were we, 
when Captain Gelett said, after he had helped me rig it, 
that he thought I might safely cross to Marakei and 
Maiana ; for he thought that I was a pretty good sailor. 



56 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


You may be sure that I was anxious to be off as soon 
as possible. I went first to Tarawa, where I left Mrs 
liingham, and then to Maiana. On my return from the 
latter, I had a much harder time than I expected. The 
wind was favorable when I started ; but it changed after¬ 
wards, and we were greatly at the mercy of a current which 
was very strong. At sundown, Tarawa bore due east, 
about twelve miles. The wind lulled, but the sea was 
rough, and we were fast drifting to the westward. A fear- 
ful hour was that! No land to the leeward for more than 
two hundred miles! I was in just the place where Mr. 
Huntley went adrift, on attempting to return to Maiana, 
after the battle of February 19, 1858. lie was picked up 
thirty days later, all his companions having starved to 
death. We had food and water to sustain life for a 
month; but there are times when no ship can beat up 
against this current. 

At length, however, by dint of hard rowing, we got 
into stiller water, under the lee of Tarawa; and a little 
after midnight, we made out to reach the island. You 
will not wonder that we were truly joyful and thankful 
for our escape, from what seemed to be very great danger. 

I had sometimes seen Marakei from the top of a cocoa- 
nut tree, and I longed to preach the Gospel there. A boat 
like the Star of Peace can seldom cross thither; but one 
day everything seemed to be favorable, and lvanoa and 
myself were soon under way. Now if you will turn to 
Acts xxvii. 13-15, you will see that the weather may seem 
to be very good for a voyage, and yet, “ not long after,” 
“ a tempestuous wind ” may arise. This was precisely 
our case. About three o’clock in the afternoon a fearful 
squall approached. As we were out on a wide sea, 
anxious to reach, before night, a strange island, with no 
ship channel to its lagoon, I kept on sail to the last mo¬ 
ment, bidding one of the men “ stand by the halyards,” 
and let them go at an instant’s warning. 

At length 1 could venture no longer. We lowered 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR 


57 


and furled our sails, and had hardly seated ourselves, 
when the tempest burst upon us with tremendous fury. 
As soon as it abated^ we reefed our mainsail, and, hoisting 
it up a little, pushed on. The sea was beginning to run 
wildly, and the large billows raised their white crests 
around us. The Sta?' of Peace had experienced no such 
sea as that. Suddenly a towering wave burst upon us, 
drenching us from stem to stern. Blinded by the spray, 
tor the moment I hardly knew our fate. Thanks to our 
kind Keeper, the boat still danced on. But frightened 
faces turned towards me, as if* to read the future in my 
countenance. 

Just at dark, it being difficult to distinguish people on 
the shore, we found ourselves off a narrow break in the 
cocoa-nut and pandanus trees. This was the so-called 
boat channel, a fearful place, with billows dashing their 
foam against the rocks. I trembled to enter, and would 
not venture myself at the helm, lest 1 should not under¬ 
stand the rapid commands of the pilot, but put my old 
teacher at that post, and took his oar. For a moment we 
paused, as the billows began to lift their crests before 
breaking. Two large ones passed, and we sprang to our 
oars. In the darkness, our pilot had “ headed-in ” a little 
too soon, and in order to enter a gap between the rocks, 
not forty feet wide, was obliged to slant our course a little, 
— a most perilous feat ! For an instant death seemed 
staring me in the face. Swimmer that I was, should we 
swamp, the chances for my escape were exceedingly small, 
as 1 was not accustomed to surf-swimming. But the 
blessed Master was with us. A small wave took us upon 
its crest, and we were hurried through this narrow vortex 
in a moment’s time. 

But what a sight greeted our eyes the next morning! 
We found ourselves upon one of the loveliest of all the 
coral islands. About six miles in length, from one to 
three in width, and enclosing a placid lagoon on all sides 
by wooded land, with fairy-like islets here and there, it 




58 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 

lay spread out before us. The Gospel light for the first 
time now beamed upon it. We preached in all its 
villages; and more than a thousand souls heard of the 
way of life. 

In passing out of this lagoon, there was quite as much 
peril as there had been in passing in. But I will not 
describe the scene. Possibly you may think that my 
zeal for ocean touring in an open boat was by this time 
slightly cooled, or. at least, that it ought to have been. 
But it is hard to see a populous island without the Gospel, 
and not do anything for it. 

Wishing to make this part of our work safer, the Sab¬ 
bath School children of California sent us a larger boat 
than the Star of Peace , called the Evening Star. You 
will see a picture of her on the last page of the cover. 
We thank these children very much for their generous 
gift. 

On page 17 you can see a picture of the Star of 
Peace. The scene is intended to illustrate our arrival 
at a heathen village. We are bound to the maneaba. 
Kanoa is the man with the umbrella. Do you see the 
little boys who are running towards us ? They wish to 
find out why the I-matang (foreigners) have come ; but 
perhaps they will stay and play with our boat, instead of 
going with us to be taught. At the left is a stout man 
carrying home a heavy load of cocoa-nuts and pandanus 
fruit on a stick across his shoulder, as neither he nor his 
friends have a cart or wheelbarrow. 

Among other “ worthy deeds ” of the Morning Star , 
she has carried printing-presses to Micronesia. The story 
of our press at Apaiang I think will please you. 

Nearly five years after we landed there, we sent a copy 
of the Gospel of Matthew in the Gilbert Island language 
to Honolulu, by the hands of Kanoa, to be printed there, 
as also a small hymn-book. Thirteen months later, 
Kanoa returned in the Morning Star , bringing back an 
edition of the hymn-book, but no printed copy of Matthew 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


59 


We were very sorry, for we had often told our pupils that 
they would soon have an entire Gospel. 

It happened that a printing-press had just been sent to 
us in the Morning Star ; and so we said, “We can print 
Matthew for ourselves.” The box which was supposed to 
contain the press was landed, and soon opened. We 
found in it a small box of types, cases, and other things 
used in printing, but no press! The captain felt sure 
that all had been landed ; but I could not rest until I had 
boarded the vessel and inquired of the mate. He assured 
me that there was nothing more. As I paddled home 
that evening, my heart was doubly heavy, from this second 
disappointment. 

Next morning the examination of one of our schools 
was held ; and while this was going on, the captain came 
to inform me that another search for the missing press was 
to be made; and, in case it should be found, the Stars 
and Stripes would be hoisted. How great was our joy, 
upon leaving the school-house, to see the old flag at the 
mast-head ! 

The Morning Star soon left us. We had a press, but 
no printer. A book, however, telling us how to print had 
been sent, and we hoped soon to understand the business. 
Only two days after Captain James’s departure, a boat 
entered our lagoon, which had gone adrift with several 
sailors, when trying to reach a small guano island, some 
forty miles from the place where they had been wrecked. 
For ten days they were upon the ocean, and after a voy¬ 
age of six hundred miles they reached Maiana. 

They rested one night, and then set out for Apaiang, 
in the hope of finding the Morning Star , and going in her 
to Honolulu. The current was too strong, and the wind 
too much ahead; so they put back, and remained five 
days longer. They then set out again for Apaiang, and 
reached us just too late! A few weeks later they had 
an opportunity of leaving for Sydney in a cocoa-nut oil 
trader. 


60 


STORY OF TI1E MORNING STAR. 


One of the men was a printer, and he was willing to 
remain, and set our little press to work. In a few weeks 
we had Matthew ready for our pupils! Mr. Hotchkiss 
(for that was his name) also printed several other small 
books, which were greatly needed. We love to think 
that God sent that kind printer to us over the wide 
ocean, in an open boat, to help us in giving the Word of 
Life to the poor Gilbert Islanders. 


CHAPTER XV. 

MICRONESIANS WHO SAILED IN HER. 

Let me tell you about some of the Micronesians who 
have sailed in the Morning Star. I will first speak of 
Joseph, from whom I once expected a great deal, but who 
afterwards disappointed me. Still I do not give him up. 
I often pray that he may return to the path of duty and 
usefulness; and I want you to pray for him too. 

Only thirteen letters (a, e, i, o, u, b, k, m, n, n, (ng), 
r, t, w) are needed tor writing the Gilbert Island lan¬ 
guage. We had taught a few children to spell ba, be, &c., 
when one day I heard a lad whom we had never taught. 
saying over with great rapidity, “ Ba, be, bi, bo, bu ; ka, 
ke, ki, ko, ku; ma, me,” &c. I was much pleased, for I 
thought to myself, “ This boy must be very bright; ” and 
indeed he was very bright. We took great pains to 
teach him; and soon he learned to read and write his own 
language very fast. 

Alter a while he came to live with us, with the consent 
of his father, a brother of the old king that welcomed us 
to Apaiang. We taught him English also, in the hope 
that he would be more useful as an assistant translator of 
the New Testament. But he made ?ome curious mistakes. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


61 


He could not easily distinguish between b and p, and when 
he tried to read the words, “ big pig,” he would frequently 
say, “ pig big.” Other Gilbert Islanders would have done 
the same thing. 

He took much interest in the various generals who 
were fighting to save our country, and he knew the 
names of several of them. On one occasion he saw in 
large letters, in an advertisement, the words, “ General 
Merchandise.” Having spelled them out, he asked, “ Does 
this General command troops ? ” Ekeuea (for such was 
his heathen name) helped us very much in learning his 
language. After we had been at Apaiang a good while, 
1 offered him a cent a word for all the new words he 
vould define for us. In a few months he had give us 
nearly a thousand ! 

As he learned about the love of Jesus, he seemed very 
much interested ; and we had good reason to think him a 
Christian. At his baptism he chose the name of Joseph, 
or, as it is written in his language, Ioteba. 

We took him with us on one of our voyages to Kusaie 
and Ponape. He thought the Marshall Islanders hideous- 
looking people, with their great ear-rings and knotted 
hair. Their language he called “jabber.” His wonder 
at the mountains of Kusaie (for he had never seen so 
much as a hill before) was very great. I rambled with 
him through the woods and by the running streams, of 
which there are none in the Gilbert Islands; and together 
we climbed, with great difficulty, to the top of the highest 
mountain. The story of this ascent he never wearied in 
telling his people, after his return. 

One night we heard loud crying ; and we supposed it 
to come from some heathen child. The next morning 
Joseph told us that he had dreamed of seeing a savage 
cut off my head ; and, as he awoke, the dream seemed so 
real, that he arose, left his little house, and sat under the 
cocoa-nut trees at the dead of night, to give vent to his 


sorrow. 


62 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


He often went with me on my tours to assist in telling 
the people about Jesus; and they always liked to hear 
him. His help too, in translating portions of the New 
Testament, was very great He once visited Butaritari 
and Makin, islands where I had never preached, and, 
gathering many of the people together, told them the 
great news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The journal 
which he kept was very interesting. 

After a time a white man gave him some liquor, and he 
became intoxicated. From that day he left us; perhaps 
he is still wandering. Will not my young friends pray 
that he may be brought back to the true fold ? My heart 
yearns over him. 

But let me speak of another Micronesian, whose history 
is more cheering, and who is now at rest with the Lord 
Jesus. When Mr. Snow removed from Kusaie to Ebon, 
in 1862, he left some thirty converts behind, with many 
others who loved him very much. It was a sad day for 
them, as I well remember, when he went on board the 
Morning Star. Many of them followed him in their 
canoes for a mile or two. At length they said their last 
“ good-byes,” and returned to their island-home, as sheep 
without a shepherd. But one of the good women, the 
wife of Keduka, said in her simplicity that Jesus would b< 
their missionary now; and her words have been fulfilled 
He has, in very deed, taken care of them; and you will 
be glad to know that your little packet has several times 
carried Mr. Snow to them, to spend a few days, while she 
should be gone to Ponape. It has been very pleasant for 
him to make these visits; for he has always found new 
converts desirous of being baptized. Shall not this en¬ 
courage us to plant the Gospel on every island of Micro¬ 
nesia ? 

Mr. Snow took with him to Ebon a young Christian 
named Selpas, to aid in making some translations, which 
he desired to complete for the Kusaieans. He was 
very helpful, and he set a good example of Christian liv- 



MR. SNOWS DEPARTURE FROM KUSATE 




























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


64 

ing before the natives of Ebon. At length he became 
sick, and was glad to return to Kusaie before he should 
die. When near his native island, and very feeble, Mr 
Snow asked him where he wanted most to be, expecting 
him to say, “ In Kusaie.” He replied, “ In heaven.” Mr. 
Snow then asked whom he most desired to see, thinking 
the answer would be, “ My mother; ” but it was “ Jesus.” 
He was spared to reach Kusaie, and to see his mother for 
a few hours. Then he was taken to his home above ; and 
there he looks upon the face of the Blessed One, singing 
doubtless, (as he was wont to do so sweetly upon earth, 
but oh, how much more sweetly now,) — 

“ Okasak nunik on nu mwo, 

On nu sin Leum su es la ko; 

El luresel na. in on nu sel 

Lun kulan Leum ma mwo nu lal.” 

(“ Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, 

And sing the great Redeemer’s praise; 

He justly claims a song from me. 

His loving kindness, oh, how free.”) 

On the preceding page is a picture of Mr. Snow’s de¬ 
parture from the beautiful home of Sel pas. The Morning 
Star is seen coming out of the harbor, of which I have 
spoken as so picturesque, and where at least two whale- 
ships have been wrecked in trying to put to sea. In her 
wake is the fleet of native Christians, sadly following their 
teacher and friends as far as they dare. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

HER LAST VISIT TO THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

I must now speak of the last visit of the Morning Star 
to the Marquesas Islands. Besides her usual freight, she 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


65 


took out two guns, two gold watches, two silver medalj 
and other things, a gift from President Lincoln. “ But 
how came she, a missionary vessel, to carry such things 
to a heathen land,” you ask, “ and that too from our good 
President ? ” I will tell you. 

An American whale-ship having touched at the Mar¬ 
quesas Islands for supplies, the first mate (Mr. Whalon) 
went ashore; whereupon he was seized and dragged 
away. Why ? That lie might be killed and eaten! 
But what had he done ? Nothing. Wicked men from 
Peru had landed there, and stolen a number of the Mar¬ 
quesas, to make slaves of them. One of these poor 
creatures was the son of a chief. The father, of course, 
was very angry. He was so angry, indeed, that he re¬ 
solved to kill and eat the first white men who should fall 
into his hands. And now the day of vengeance had 
come. The mate was in his power! Others would have 
fallen into the same snare, but for a Marquesan girl, liv¬ 
ing in the family of Kekela, (mentioned in Chapter III.,) 
who made signs to them to go back to their vessel, crying 
out, “ Pull away ! pull away ! ” 

Kekela and others made haste to rescue the mate. At 
first the wrathful chief refused to give up his victim; but 
he yielded at length to Kekela’s entreaties, and offered to 
receive as a ransom his new six-oared boat, given him by 
his benefactor in Boston, which he greatly prized, and 
greatly needed in his missionary work. But the good 
man did not hesitate a moment to accept the hard terms. 
Another chief interfered, however, and satisfied the fierce 
cannibal with a gun and some other things. This story 
was told to our kind-hearted President; and from his own 
money, it is said, he gave five hundred dollars to be dis¬ 
tributed among Mr. Whalon’s deliverers. 

You would be glad, I doubt not, to see the letter which 
Kekela wrote to Mr. Lincoln; but I have room for only 
a part of it: — 


5 


66 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


“ Greetings to you, great and good Friend ! ” 

“My mind is stirred up to address you in friendship.” 

“ I greatly respect you for holding converse with such 
humble ones. Such you well know us to be.” “When 
I saw one of your countrymen, a citizen of your great 
nation, ill-treated, and about to be baked and eaten, as a 
pig is eaten, I ran to deliver him, full of pity and grief at 
the evil deed of these benighted people.” 

“ As to this friendly deed of mine in saving Mr. Whalon, 
its seed came from your great land, and was brought by 
certain of your countrymen, who had received the love 
of God. It was planted in Hawaii, and I brought it to 
plant in this land and in these dark regions, that they * 
might receive the root of all that is good and true, which 
is love. 

“ 1. Love to Jehovah. 

“ 2. Love to self. 

“ 3. Love to our neighbor.” 

“ This is a great thing for your great nation to boast 
of, before all the nations of the earth. From your great 
land a most precious seed was brought to the land of 
darkness.” 

“ How shall I repay your great kindness to me ? Thus 
David asked of Jehovah, and thus I ask of you, the 
President of the United States. This is my only pay¬ 
ment, — that which I have received of the Lord, — aloha, 
(love.) May the love of the Lord Jesus abound with you 
until the end of this terrible war in your land.” 

Alas, that the great and good man to whom it was ad¬ 
dressed, did not live to see this letter! When it reached 
Washington our whole land was in mourning. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


67 


CHAPTER XVII. 

HER LAST VISIT TO MICRONESIA. 

On the 17th of July, 1865, we went on board the 
Morning Star at Honolulu, not to return to the Gilbert 
Islands, as we longed to do, but to bid “ good-bye ” to our 
fellow-laborers who were to sail for Micronesia. Among 
them was Mr. Snow, who had so kindly left his work at 
Ebon to assist in caring for me on the passage to Hono¬ 
lulu. It was hard to part with your dear little vessel! 

Rev. Mr. Emerson of Waialua, who sailed in her, and 
touched at all the stations in Micronesia, has given an 
account of what he saw. He first visited Tarawa, where 
there were two Hawaiian missionaries, Mahoe and Haina, 
of whom he speaks as follows : “ These brethren have 
been about five years in this field. . . . They have erected 
two good-sized meeting-houses and two school-houses. . . . 
Their own buildings were mainly erected by their own 
hands, and all look neat and more comfortable than we at 
first enjoyed at the Sandwich Islands. ... I could not 
but admire these laborers, as men and women of warm 
hearts and true devotion to the cause of our Lord and 
Master ; and we shall expect to hear that He has honored 
them in His service.” 

From Tarawa the Morning Star went to Apaiang. I 
am very thankful to learn with how much interest the 
people heard from Mr. Snow an account of my sickness 
and return to this country, and to know that the king and 
queen continued to “ run well.” While Mr. Emerson saw 
less evidence of the Spirit’s presence among the Gilbert 
Islanders than elsewhere, still he says, “ There is much 
occasion to give thanks and take courage.” 

The prayer-meeting which Mr. Emerson attended the 
Wednesday evening he spent at Ebon, “ was one of pecul¬ 
iar interest, and showed that there was a Christian feel- 


68 


STORY OF THE MORNING* STAR. 


ing among a people so recently heathen. Although but 
partially clothed, their appearance was every way becom¬ 
ing and decent.” At an examination of the schools there 
were present one hundred and twenty-five pupils, of whom 
forty-four could repeat the Gospel of Mark. (How many 
in the United States can do this ?) 

At Kusaie the Lord’s work was advancing in a very 
remarkable manner. They had only a part of the New 
Testament; but they were studying it very carefully, Mr. 
Emerson says, “ Not to know whether things are so, for of 
that they have no doubt, but to know what they are. 
The Gospel of John, which they have had for a year or 
more, is committed entirely to memory by many. That 
this people have simple, child-like confidence in God, is so 
apparent that no one can mistake it.” 

Leaving Mr. Snow with his people on Kusaie, the 
Morning Star went on to Ponape, where Mr. and Mrs 
Sturges had been for four years alone, with more than 
they could do, earnestly begging for some one to come 
and help them. They were, therefore, very glad to see 
Mr. and Mrs. Doane, who were to be their fellow-laborers. 
Mr. Emerson spent two weeks on this island, visiting 
different places, and finding much to interest him in the 
progress of the Gospel. 

Two new stations were commenced during this voyage. 
Kanoa and Maka were placed on Butaritari, (leaving 
Aumai and Ivapu in charge of Apaiang,) and Kapali 
was transferred from Namerik to Jaluit, (leaving Kaele- 
makule alone.) On the former of these it was difficult to 
gain a foothold ; but “ after much talk ” the king con¬ 
sented to receive the two Hawaiians. Mr. Snow felt that 
it was well Kanoa was present; for it needed “ all his 
amiable skill ” to succeed. The people feared that if the 
missionaries came, they would be obliged to give up all 
♦heir wives but one, and that all the children would be 
obliged to attend schools, &c. But Mr. Snow satisfied 
them that no compulsion would be used. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


69 


On the 12th of December, 1865, the Morning Star 
returned to Honolulu, thus ending her voyages as a mis¬ 
sionary vessel. She has done a noble work, and honored 
be her memory! Listen to the testimony of Rev. Mr. 
Damon, Seamen’s Chaplain at Honolulu, and editor of the 
“ Friend ”: “ Having advocated the building of the Morn¬ 
ing Star, having been present on her arrival at Honolulu 
in 1857, having witnessed her frequent departures for 
Micronesia and Marquesas, having welcomed her arrival 
from those distant missionary fields, having once made a 
delightful voyage in her through the Micronesian Islands, 
and having been fully conversant with the management 
of the little craft, during the entire period that she-has 
been sailing in the service of missions, it affords me much 
pleasure in bearing testimony to the great assistance which 
she has rendered the missionary cause. A great and good 
work has been accomplished by her aid. The hundred 
thousand stockholders could not have invested their 
1 dimes ’ in a more paying enterprise.” 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

I have now told my story. But before we bid adieu 
to our little vessel, let us take a parting glance at the 
work which the Morning Star has helped the missionaries, 
American and Hawaiian, to do. Of their labors in re¬ 
ducing four languages to writing, in translating portions 
of the Scriptures into as many tongues, and in preparing 
good books in the same, I cannot speak at length. 

We have seen that when the Morning Star first visited 
Micronesia not a single convert had been baptized. Only 
a few pages had been printed, and that in a single lan¬ 
guage. Now two Gospels have been printed in the Mar¬ 
shall Island and Ivusaiean languages, one quarter of the 



70 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


New Testament in the Gilbert Island language, more 
than one Gospel in the Ponapean, to say nothing of hymn- 
books, primers, and other books in all the four languages. 

Go with me to Ponape, and let Mr. Sturges point you 
to more .than two thousand persons, who “ are now by 
choice and in their sympathies on the Lord’s side.” 
“ There i3 much light on our little island,” he says. 
“ Everywhere the people are eager to hear the truth. 
One entire tribe has abandoned heathenism and declared 
itself ‘ missionary.’ ” Places and objects, once held sacred, 
are now treated with scorn. “ The highest priests tell 
me, and tell the crowd, that their gods and their teach¬ 
ings were all false. Every available reader is put to 
work in teaching ‘ the book ; ’ and it is very gratifying to 
see the progress many are making.” He can point you 
to large congregations, “ clothed and in their right mind.” 
He can show you his churches with nearly two hundred 
church-members, whom he believes to be true Christians. 

And now Mr. Snow will wish you to visit Kusaie, that 
you may see the people whom he left nearly four years ago. 
He can show you a Sabbath-school of one hundred and 
eighteen pupils, of all ages, sitting in little circles on the 
floor, some of the classes touching the backs of others, and 
yet with no disturbance or confusion. He can point you 
to groups of Christians hungry for the Word of Life, lying 
around their little jacket-lamps at night, working their 
way through the new Gospel of Matthew or the new hymn- 
book, just taken out to them in the Morning Star. He 
will tell you that he never made a tour of the island when 
he found so much to cheer his heart. Of the people he 
will bear this striking testimony: “ Formerly stupid as 
death, indifferent as the grave, they are now intensely in¬ 
terested in the Word and the Work of Life.” 

And you must go to Ebon also, and see the little 
church gathered among those wild savages, to whom the 
Morning Star took Dr. Pierson and Mr. Doane in 1857. 
When once on the Marshall Islands, however, you may 
be sure that the Hawaiian missionaries will hold you fast, 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


71 


till you shall have looked in upon their congregation and 
their schools. But you will be richly repaid for the delay, 
when you hear Aea (who is supported by the children 
of American missionaries at the Sandwich Islands) ask¬ 
ing you, as he does his patrons, to praise God with him 
by singing a Hawaiian hymn, (227 or 161,) on account 
of his converts, beloved of Christ, who are valiant soldiers 
of the cross. lie will say of them, “ They are very bold 
in their work. If they meet a person in the road or 
elsewhere, they stop him and propose to hold a meeting. 
. . . They exhort their chiefs, having no fear of men, but 
remembering Him who is able to destroy the soul in hell.” 

I could wish to show you some fruit on the Gilbert 
Islands, but I have said enough. The good work is still 
going forward. The harvest is ripening, and soon, we 
trust, these isles of Micronesia will be full of the praise 
of our Saviour King, to whom be all the glory ! 

And now, my dear young friends, I must bid you 
“ farewell.” Very pleasant has it been for me to do what 
I have done, in telling you the story of your vessel. I 
love the Morning Star , my home for so many months upon 
the deep, when about my Master’s business. Many a 
thrill has she sent through my heart. By the blessing of 
God she has saved my life. Why should I not love her, 
and her owners too? Why should I not, with a full 
heart, tell them of her, — of the good she has done to 
me, to my companions, and to the dying heathen ? How 
could I consent to part with her, except in the confident 
hope that soon another and better “ children’s vessel ” 
would be ready to bear me hence again, 

“Far in heathen lands to dwell,” 

her sails filled with the breath of prayer from ten times 
ten thousand youthful hearts! Gentle reader, farewell! 

“ And when our labors all are o’er, 

Then we shall meet to part no more, — 

Meet with the blood-bought throng, to fall, 

And crown our Jesus, Lord of all ! ” 


APPENDIX. 






-#- 

SPECIMENS OF MICRON ESI AN LANGUAGES. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER IN THE GILBERT ISLAND LANGUAGE. 

Tamara .are i karawa, e na tabuaki aram. E na roko ueam: E na 
tauaki am taeka i aon te aba n ai aron tauana i karawa. Ko ua aiia- 
nira karara ae ti a tau iai n te boh aei. Ao ko ua kabara ara buaka- 
ka mairoura n ai arora nkai ti kabara te buakaka mairouia akaua 
ioawa nako ira. Ao tai kairira nakon te kaririaki, ma ko ua kamaiuira 
mau te buakaka; ba ambai te uea, ao te maka, ao te neboaki, u aki 
toki. Amene. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER IN TIIE MARSHALL ISLAND LANGUAGE. 

Jememuij i km, eu kwojarjar etom. En itok am ailin. Jen komon- 
mon ankil am i lol enwot dri low. Ranin, letok non kim kijim ranin: 
Im jolok amuij jerawiwi, enwot kimuij jolok an armij jerawiwi jen kim. 
Im jab tellok non mon, ak drebij kim jen nana. Bwe am ailin, im 
kajur, im wytak in di’io. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER IN THE KUSAIEAN LANGUAGE. 

Papa tumus su in kosao, A’’los oal payi. Togusa'i lalos tuku. 
Orek ma nu fwalu, ou elos oru in kosao. Kite kit len si ini ma kut 
mono misini: A nunok munas nu ses ke ma koluk las, oanu kut 
nunok munas sin met orek ma koluk nu ses. A tiu kol kit kut in 
mel, a es kit la liki ma koluk, tu togusa'i lalos, a ku, a mwolanu, ma 
patpat. Amen. 

FIRST VERSE OF “ THERE IS A HAPPY LAND,” IN THE PONAPEAN 

LANGUAGE. 

“ Uaja kajalelia, 

Meto, meto. 

Uaja en ani mau, 

Marain, marain; 

Ar kaul mekajalel, 

Jijuj kom kamauri kit, 

Kitail kaul laut er kaul, 

Kaul meuare.” 



SEQUEL TO THE FOREGOTNG 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 














SEQUEL TO THE FOREGOING 
STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 
1866-1883. 



^pHE u Children’s Ship,*’ aftei 
she had sailed prosperously 
for ten years, as described 
in the preceding u Story,” 
became so worn that it was 
deemed best to dispose of 
her and build another vessel 
better adapted to the work 
among the islands of the 
Pacific. She was therefore sold at the 
Sandwich Islands and after taking an¬ 
other name, the Harriet Newell, she went 
to sea and was never heard from again. The dear old name 
of Morning Star was kept for the new ship which, in 
May, 1866, the children were asked to build. Aside from 
a multitude of individuals, two thousand Sund:iy-schools 
cheerfully responded to the call. It was supposed that, 
in addition to the money received for the old Star , about 
613,000 would be needed, and it was proposed to devote 
all gifts beyond this sum to a fund to be used in keeping 
the vessel in repair. By September of that year the 
offerings for this purpose amounted to over 624,000, and 





70 STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 

sums kept coming in for two years, until the whole 
amount contributed was $28,696.37. 

The vessel was built at East Boston, and sailed on 
November 13, 1866, under command of Rev. Hiram 
Bingham, the Micronesian missionary who wrote the 
preceding story of the first Morning Star. Mr. 
Bingham proved his fitness for the task committed to 
him, by bringing the new Star safely aroundCape Horn 
and into Honolulu Harbor on March 15, 1867, after a very 
short passage of 122 days. Two thousand Hawaiian 
Sundajr-school children marched to the wharf to see 
“their ship”; for three or four thousand out of one 
hundred and fifty thousand of her stockholders were 
Hawaiians. 

It was on March 28, 1867, that the Star began her 
missionary work in the Pacific, still sailing under com¬ 
mand of Captain Bingham. The plan for her yearly 
trip is to go from Honolulu first to the Gilbert Islands, 
although they are the southernmost group, lying directly 
under the equator. This is in order to take advantage 
of prevailing winds and currents. Then she sails north¬ 
west nearly a thousand miles to Ponape, taking the other 
mission islands on the way. Since Micronesia began to 
have foreign missions of her own, the Star has gone 
from Ponape to the Mortlocks, and the missionaries 
wish she had time to go still further. Often the loved 
and longed-for ship has to wait becalmed, miles out from 
the anchorage, drifting about helplessly under the tropi¬ 
cal sun. This sadly delays her work. In one of her 
“reports” to her youthful owners, the Star says: “I 
came down flying from Ponape — I am going back 
4 wallowing.’ I am doing the very best I can, and am 
glad no one complains at my slow progress. The only 
approach to complaint is the natural remark, which 
rather mortifies me: 4 Now is the time for a steamer, 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


77 


O, for the power of steam! ’ Well, I am sorry, and would 
gladly do better. I am thinking of the dear ones at 
Ponape and Ebon, waiting for my return.” 

On coming back to Honolulu this year, 1S67, the Star 
took Mrs. Snow and her children on their homeward way 
to America, leaving Mr. Snow alone at Ebon. Mrs. Snow 
had been sixteen years absent from her native land. 
Ponape was then reported as having nine meeting¬ 
houses, six or seven hundred readers, and 176 church 
members. The whole number of converts on all the 
islands that year was 144; from the first, 459; and foun¬ 
dations had been laid for yet more glorious things. 

In 1868, Captain Bingham’s health obliged him to give 
up the command of the Star. It was arranged that he 
should go down yearly to the Gilbert Islands, to give 
counsel and assistance, but spend the rest of the year at 
Honolulu, translating the Bible and preparing other 
books for the natives. 

THE MORNING STAR IS WRECKED. 

The little ship kept on her way prosperously until 
October 18, 1869. That day, having finished her Micro- 
nesian work for the year, she left Kusaie for Honolulu. 
Messrs. Snow and Sturges were on board for their return 
to America, and all were in buoyant spirits. At evening 
prayer they joyfully sang “ Homeward Bound,” but the 
Captain found when he went on deck after supper that 
the Star had been working in towards the island and 
was dangerously near the reef. She had got into a 
strong current. Boats were lowered and began towing 
her off shore. An anchor was let go in twenty fathoms 
of water and held her till a severe squall came up. 
Preparations had been made to slip the cable, in case the 
wind should favor, and try to shoot out clear of the reef 
with the fore and aft sails. But in trying to effect this 


78 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


after the squall, instead of shooting ahead, she only 
sagged off and soon struck the reef, broadside on. The 
surf was heavy, the shore rocky, and all hope for the 
vessel was gone. 

The missionaries and all on board got safely to land 
in a boat, though with great peril of their lives; they also 
saved some of their effects and the ship’s chronometers 
and charts. After a long month of waiting, they took 
passage in the Annie Porter and reached Honolulu, 
February 8, 1870. 

When the news of the wreck of the Star reached 
America, her young owners were invited to give $10,000 
towards replacing her. Her insurance was $18,000. 
Mrs. Sturges wrote a letter asking 44 all the bright-eyed, 
generous boys and girls,” to gather up their pennies and 
pour out the contents of their banks. “At this holiday 
season.” she said, “ when j t ou are all wanting to make 
Christmas and New Year's presents, you have use for 
all your money. But will not this missionary ship be 
a noble New Year's gift to all of us — your uncles and 
aunts, and thousands of dark-skinned cousins off in the 
wide Pacific?” 

The children again responded to the call and a new 
Morning Star was begun at East Boston. But even un¬ 
der the efficient supervision of the Hon. Alpheus Hardy, 
it takes time to build a ship. So, in 1870, there was no 
beautiful Star to visit the far-off isles, bearing life, and 
comfort, and joy. The ship Annie took down supplies 
for the Hawaiian teachers and for Mr. Doane, and 
brought back Mr. and Mrs. Bingham, who had gone to 
Apaiang in the United States ship Jamestown. Mr. 
Doane was the only American missionary in Micronesia 
for a part of that year. Yet, alone on Ponnpe, the Lord 
gave him unusual joy and success in his work, the Divine 
Spirit working with him, so that at every communion he 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


79 


received new Christians to the church — one hundred 
in all. 

Meanwhile, a strong and beautiful but plain ship was 
finished at East Boston, and sailed on February 27,1871, 
under the command of Captain Matthews, for Honolulu. 
There the returning missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Snow, Mr. 
and Mrs. Sturges, Mrs. Doane, and Mr. and Mrs. Bing¬ 
ham, with Mr. and Mrs. Whitney as reinforcements, were 
awaiting her. They had arrived, via San Francisco, the 
morning of July 3d, and the Star came booming around 
into Honolulu Harbor, with the flags flying and all sails 
set, that very afternoon! 

JOYFUL WELCOME TO THE NEW SHIP. 

One can imagine the delight of the missionaries. They 
hastened on board. Mr. Snow wrote: 44 After trying our 
voices and our hearts in 4 The Morning Light is Break¬ 
ing,’ Mr. Sturges proposed that our thanks be offered in 
humble prayer to the kind Preserver; in which Brother 
Bingham led us. renewedly consecrating the dear vessel 
to her blessed work of love and mercy among the islands. 
She is pronounced a success. How joyously all we 
Micronesians take her to our hearts! Precious treasure 
for our beloved work. God bless her, and her thousands 
of owners! How often the expression is heard, 4 How 
like the one that we lost! It almost seems as if she had 
risen from her watery grave! ’ ” 

And so, in the summer of 1871, a third Morning Star 
dawned on the waiting isles. We who have never known 
such isolation as Mr. Doane’s cannot conceive with what 
feelings he wrote: 44 The Morning Star reached us on the 
13th of September, bringing me Mrs. Doane. How can 
I thank the Master of all for his care over her! and how 
can I thank sufficiently the dear children at home for 
building the new ship, fitting her up so beautifully and 


80 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


sending her forth on her errand of mercy! And I trust 
our young friends will not think they can send anything 
too beautiful to help advance our Saviour’s cause. He 
himself is the One altogether lovely. Let me thank the 
children for this gift, and beg for one other — that they 
will give themselves to Jesus to be his soldiers, and to 
plant his banner on many a wild, heathen shore.” 

WEARY WAITING. 

The next year, 1872, the 27th of August had dawn¬ 
ed upon Ebon when Mr. Snow wrote: u Not a word 
from home since we left San Francisco, in June of last 
year, until yesterday, when the Narragansett brought 
American papers. We shall get accustomed to delays 
in our mail department, one of these days or years, 
perhaps, so that we shall be more patient. But those 
dear children! the parental heart cannot well restrain 
the yearning for some word to break the long silence, 
that we may at least know whether they yet live. We 
are trying to learn yet more of that ‘ Like as a Father,’ 
and of the blessing those receive who not having seen 
have yet believed.” 

But the Star came at last and brought good news, and 
found the good work going on. From year to year the 
joy of Christ and his salvation had been spreading among 
the Gilbert and the Marshall Islands. And natives of 
Ponape had been in training to become themselves 
missionaries to the isles beyond. Indeed, two Ponape 
teachers had been placed on Mokil, and an effort made, in 
1871, to land a couple on Pingelap, but the king refused 
them admission. A white man had hired him to exclude 
missionaries for ten years, fearing that his wicked 
deeds would be hindered or reproved. However, two 
Pingelap people had strayed away to Ponape, and there 
heard the glorious tidings of God and their Saviour. 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


81 


They believed and accepted the truth, went home to 
Pingelap, and induced their people to throw away every 
idol. The whole population joined in building the larg¬ 
est church in Micronesia and also a large school-house, 
where they all gathered for instruction. They were 
waiting for missionaries. 

MISSIONS OF THE PON APE BOARD. 

In 1873, the Star went on to Mokil and found the whole 
adult population waiting to be baptized! At Pingelap 
she was welcomed by a thousand people, with every 
demonstration of joy. *‘ I could not restrain the flow of 
tears,”, wrote Mr. Sturges of this scene, “ as I saw such 
a mass of humanity, very many Avith long beards white 
as the driven snow, and as many as four hundred children 
seated so prettily before the stand, and all so orderly. 
I had to explain the cause of my tears. I told them I 
was thinking of their sending me away two years ago. 
Then I wept in grief for them; now it was joy. They 
said. ‘We did not know then; now we know.’ And 
they promised to feed the Ponape teachers the Star had 
brought for them, and be father and mother, brothers 
and sisters, to them. ‘ We all will make them ours,’ 
said they.” 

On the same trip, the missionaries settled on the Mort- 
lock Islands three couples of their Ponape children, 
among whom was the beloved Princess Opatinia, with 
her husband Opataia. After returning to Ponape, Mr. 
Sturges wrote: “ Home again, with hearts full of praise 
to Him who has so kindly watched over us and our dear 
Morning Star , and, more especially, who has granted us 
open doors to such interesting people. Ponape has now 
teachers among the heathen, and our churches will feel 
a neAV life.” Mr. Doane wrote: “ The teachers had only 
to knock; none Avere refused; the natives promising to 

























STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


83 


care for them as their own, furnishing food and dwell¬ 
ings without pay. It was a cheering thought all along 
that this is the year of Ponape’s majority — twenty-one 
in her life of possessing Christian teachers. It made us 
feel strong to see how in this majority-year the young 
mission was girding herself for the work of Christ, and 
sending forth some of her most chosen sons and daugh¬ 
ters. Let me shout out, All hail and all praise to the 
youthful builders of the Morning Star!' 1 '’ 

In 1874, three new American missionaries, with their 
wives, gladdened the hearts of the lone workers in Micro¬ 
nesia. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were stationed at Apaiang, 
and Messrs. Logan and Rand at Ponape. But alas! Mrs. 
Taylor lived only a few weeks. At Pingelap a vast 
throng of people greeted the Star, and Messrs. Sturges 
and Doane organized a church of seven members, at 
Satoan, Mortlock Islands. Opataia and 44 his queen- 
wife, looking every bit a queen,” awaited them on the 
beach, and led them to their tidy and home-like house. 
All the three Ponape teachers had learned the new 
language of their islands, and had good meeting-houses 
and attentive congregations. 4 Tt seemed more like a 
dream than a reality,” wrote the missionaries, 44 to find our 
spiritual children, so recently boys and girls in the filth 
of heathenism, now these men and women, all appearing 
well and more than happy in their high calling as mes¬ 
sengers of Christ.” 

RESULTS OF LABOR. 

Mr. Doane went to Honolulu in the Star that year, 
1874, and there reported the results of twenty-one years 
labor in Micronesia. 4 * Four dialects had been reduced 
to writing arid into all of them the New Testament, or 
portions of it, had been translated; 2,500,000 pages of 
school-books and of the Scriptures had been printed. 


84 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


There were three training-schools, and twenty churches 
with a, membership of one thousand, giving forty-five 
conversions for each year of labor. These churches had 
sent forth ten native teachers, and, in 1874, had contrib¬ 
uted nearly a thousand dollars at the Monthly Concerts.” 

In 1875, there were three churches of thirty-eight com¬ 
municants organized at the Mortlock Islands, and at 
Pingelap one hundred and six members were received to 
the church. 

In 1876, still greater things were done by these Ponape 
Foreign Missions. The Mortlock Christians received 
the missionary visitors, and the Star with overflowing 
joy. Four more churches were established, making 
seven in all, with an aggregate of two hundred and 
ninety-eight members, and not one of the converts bap¬ 
tized by the missionaries the year before had died, not one 
had gone astray, and every one had abandoned his pipe! 
At Pingelap two hundred candidates were waiting to 
be received into the fold.” A glorious day seemed 
dawning throughout Micronesia. 

Eight more churches were organized a mong the islands 
in 1877, and over five hundred new members were re¬ 
ceived. Of the four hundred people at Kusaie, one 
hundred were church members. At Oniop, Mortlocks, the 
young church parted with its beloved teachers, given 
them only a year before, in answer to loud calls from 
heathen islands beyond. At first the people argued 
' against this and discussed it till ten o’clock at night. 
Then they separated, all agreeing to pray much through 
the night to Christ for light. Next morning they met 
by themselves, and soon sent a note to Mr. Sturges, 
which read thus: u Arc the teachers ours that we should 
hold on to them? They belong to Jesus. If he wants 
them we would not keep them.” These islanders had 
followed the Star . the year before, day after day in 
their canoes, pleading for teachers; had built them a 



NATIVE PONAPE MISSIONARIES AT TIIE 
MORTLOCK ISLANDS. 
































86 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


model parsonage, and had most lovingly cared for and 
fed them. But the Gospel light they had received taught 
them to make sacrifices for those still in darkness. 

In 1878, Captain Isaiah Bray took command of the 
Morning Star , and she visited twenty-five islands. Again 
native teachers were removed from weeping, yet consent¬ 
ing, churches to heathen islands beyond. At one new 
island the people held up both hands in token that they 
would protect and support teachers; u keeping their 
hands up, seeming to think that the longer they held 
them up the surer they were of getting the teachers.” 
Hundreds of natives rushed into the water and liter¬ 
ally carried the Star's boat to dry land. 

RECENT RESULTS. 

The additions to Micronesian churches, reported in 
January, 1880, were four hundred and forty-eight; in 1881, 
eight hundred and twelve. The Star has extended her 
trips to the great Ruk lagoon. Wonderful progress, 
amid various reverses, toils, hardships, and wearing 
delays, has continued to be the law of the mission life. 
Dr. and Mrs. Pease, and Mr. and Mrs. Walkup, have been 
added to the corps of laborers, and from time to time 
missionaries have, for various reasons, been withdrawn. 
The second Mrs. Taylor and the beloved veteran Mr. 
Snow have laid down the blessed work for the glorious 
rest. After Mr. Snow’s death his faithful wife and 
fellow-worker returned to her solitary Kusaiean home, 
accompanied by Miss Cathcart, but illness soon obliged 
her to retire. In 1882, Mr. Sturges, who had been in 
America on account of ill-health, returned to Ponape, 
although Mrs. Sturges was unable to accompany him. 
Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Houston and Miss Fletcher went with 
kim. Mr. Doane remains at his post. Mr. Logan 
returned to this country in 1882, after a fearful expe¬ 
rience of sickness, brought on by lack of proper food 


STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 


87 


at the Mortlocks, and of delays in reaching Auckland 
by a little trading-vessel. It was thought he would die 
if he waited for the coining of the Morning Star, in¬ 
deed the Star's long delays, in consequence of calms and 
contrary winds and currents, have been all along a trying 
and a dangerous thing for the missionaries. The increas¬ 
ing, work at new islands is also too great to be done in 
time to allow the Star to return to Honolulu and be 
back again the next j r ear with supplies. The mission¬ 
aries are eager for a steamer and their friends desire it 
as earnestly. But the expense of procuring and main¬ 
taining a steamer is very great. 

The present vessel is a brig, 98 feet long, with breadth 
of beam 26 feet, and measuring 181 tons. 

During her trip last year the Star had, besides her 
captain and two mates, a crew of eight men, seven of 
them Hawaiians and one a Caroline Islander. The cook 
and steward were both Chinamen. Excepting these 
Chinamen, all were professed Christian men. This year 
(1883) a compromise has been decided on for the present. 
A steam-launch is to be provided, to be carried ordinarily 
on the deck of the Morning Star ; and to be taken out 
for towing the vessel into lagoons, for landing pas¬ 
sengers and supplies, and also in case of calms, or when 
the ship is in danger of drifting upon the reefs. Before 
long the Star will be worn out. She may then be 
replaced by a ship with sails and also with auxiliary 
steamj and of sufficient capacity to do all needed work 
more thoroughly than has been possible hitherto. 

HOW IT LOOKS TO THE MISSIONARIES. 

An honored missionary lady writes feelingly of the 
need of such additional facilities: “ The present Morning 
Star has reached the limit to which she can go. The dark 
islands beyond Ruk are calling; must we turn a deaf 
ear to their cries for light? Must the work of the Lord 



88 



0 019 830 428 1 

STORY OF THE MORNING STAR. 

there be thus crippled and hampered, and done in the 
slow way of a hundred years ago, in this age of science, 
and steam, and telegraphy, and when, in Christian Amer¬ 
ica, men everywhere in the world's business have all 
the appliances for convenience and speed which wealth 
can furnish? Are men more plenty than money? Is 
it easy to find those who are ready to go to that most 
isolated field, where mail and supplies come but once a 
year? And should not those who remain at home see to 
it that their representatives out on these far-away picket- 
posts are supplied with every means to make their work 
effective and with that which will minister to their health 
and comfort? I confess, too, that what I have seen and 
felt moves me in this matter. In a voyage to Micro¬ 
nesia I have endured a thirty day's calm. While we were ^ 
living at the Mortlock Islands my husband was pros¬ 
trated by overwork and insufficient food, and there was 
less than half a loaf of bread between us and hunger, 
and this because the Morning Star was delayed by calms 
in getting to us with supplies. Later we took a weary, 
seasick voj^age of fifteen days which, with a limited 
supply of steam, might easily have been accomplished 
in four days. Still later, we had another long and dreary 
voyage of seventy-nine days: days full of discomfort 
and of anxiety, and of peril to at least one life: days in 
which I saw my children look with eager, hungry eyes 
for nourishing food which they could not have, and 
turned away to hide my tears. It is not easy to speak of 
all this. Missionaries do not commonly bring to the front 
their trials and privations; nor would I, but for the needs 
of the cause in Micronesia. I bring this before you because 
I believe that Christians at home will act upon it when 
they understand it.” Will not the churches and the chil¬ 
dren justify this confidence, and be ready in due time to 
build a vessel with steam-power attached, to carry the 
messengers of life to the islands of the Pacific? 












































